Is Karate a Complete Martial Art?
By Spencer Sensei
Published: 9/4/2020
In the American Okinawan Karate Kobudo school of karate we emphasize the three ranges of fighting and the three types of techniques found in the different ranges. This is not a new concept. It has been part and parcel form the early foundation of karate. Karate evolved from the lessons learned by Okinawan law enforcement, the military, palace security, and the need for personal defense in a society that had a lawless element. The three ranges and types of technique of personal combat, were originally found in all styles of karate. The problem is that in the course of time, schools began to specialize and not all ranges, and types of technique were taught, so understanding of technique found in kata was lost. If all these segments of karate can be found in the ancient forms or kata, the question is what happened and why were they abandoned? For some reason the karateka began to be focused on Atemi-waza (striking) and pushed Naga-waza(throwing) into the background. Ancient jujitsu practitioners were versed in all these types of technique, so why the deviation as their focus shifted to throws, locks and chokes and away from striking? Today the sport of Judo has all but eliminated Atami-waza from its’ curriculum, and Brazilian Jujitsu (BJJ) has placed a new focus on Tatami-waza. With the popularity of mixed martial arts, we see these types of techniques once again begin to coalesce, so if karate, jujitsu, and Judo all contain throws how did they differ, and why did these arts diverge? Without naga-waza and tatami-waza is karate a complete martial art?
The early developers of karate blended or merged the flowing Chinese martial arts with the more rudimentary from of indigenous fighting techniques known as Te. Okinawans traveled to both Japan and China in search of better personal combat skills or techniques. Some went on a personal journey while others were sent by the government. Many of the techniques were brought to Okinawa by Chinese diplomates, merchants, and sailors. As the new techniques were gathered, they were categorized as: Atemi-waza (striking), Naga-waza (throwing), and Ne-waza or the more modern term Tatami-waza (mat technique). These new techniques along with Te would become Okinawan karate making it a compact set of techniques that could effectively be deployed in any situation. It was a complete martial art.
As the early karateka refined their art, they began to better understand there were differing ranges that better suited one technique over another. The three ranges of fighting are different than the types of technique or Atemi-waza, Naga-waza, and Tatami-waza. The ranges of fighting can incorporate all the above techniques or be limited to only a few. In range-one we use long distance weapons like punches, open hand strikes, and kicks. In range-two we use close-in weapons like knees, elbows, traps, locks, chokes, and throws. In range-three we use hand strikes, knees, elbows, locks, and chokes, but the application is on the ground. Most all types of techniques can be used in the ranges of personal combat, but some are more effective than others. Strikes are limited on the ground because you cannot deliver as much power due to the impeding of shoulder and hip rotation along with the fact that there is no weight transfer. Yes, you can strike, but not as effectively as if you were standing. In range-one the power of elbows and knees are obviously mitigated by distance. Modern karateka like their predecessor must practice in all three ranges to be effective, yet karate instructors have removed the range-two throwing component.
If throwing techniques (naga-waza) are found in all oriental martial arts, what if any are the differences, and why did throws disappear from the karateka’s arsenal. It is a universal technique known worldwide. Almost every country on earth developed some form of throwing an adversary to the ground, yet modern karate is void of this technique in karate. Indications of throwing techniques can be found in our karate kata, yet throws are not taught in most systems. Throws are still a major portion of jujitsu, judo, and to a lesser degree Brazilian jujitsu. We must understand that throws are relegated to the only range-two of personal combat, so they’re limited in their application. Though they are an important component of self-defense, they’ve all but been eliminated from the karateka’s training. BJJ too has minimized the importance of the throwing arts, and conscientiously focused on ground technique, but unlike karate, BJJ takedowns and throws have not been totally eliminated. Okay, let’s examine the difference in application of throws between the systems. Early jujitsu students threw their opponents via traps, locks, and chokes. These early styles were developed for personal combat on the field of battle and were designed to injure or quickly dispatch and adversary. As combat tactics changed the need for jujitsu training declined. Jigor Kano sensei trained in the ancient art form of jujtisu, and to keep the art practical in modern times, changed the introductory application of the throws. Judo focuses on breaking the opponent’s balance. Breaking his/her opponent’s balance by pulling and pushing is paramount to throwing their adversary to the ground. The karateka, on the other hand, sets up his/her throws via traps, punches, counter punches, clinches, locks, and chokes, much like the early jujitsu practitioners. Somewhere down the road, the throws and many of the locks of karate were discarded and the techniques of atemi-waza became the focus. This may have happened when karate was introduced into the Okinawan education system. Throws could have been eliminated in an effort to minimize the risk of injury to the student-body. It may have been even more of a utilitarian of a decision. Tatami is expensive and needs to kept indoors. Karate’s atemi-waza could be taught out in the open, so there was no need for an enclosed dojo. Early karateka, that trained in Okinawa, trained outside and not in the fancy dojos with polished wooden floors found in Okinawa and Japan today. Another reason could be paying students didn’t like being thrown on the hard-packed earth. Lastly, it could have simply been that many instructors preferred fighting from a standing position and not a range-two position. For whatever reason, the throws of the ancient karateka began to slowly disappear, and the art of falling and throwing has all but disappeared from its’ curriculum.
In the mid-eighties I found myself on the ground during a sparring match with a jujitsu black belt acquaintance. I was out of my element and before I could regain my footing the match was over. My long-distance skills were superior, but my range-two skills were limited to the Judo my dad had taught me. We were also not allowed use the range-two techniques of knees, elbows, or head-butts during the match for safety reasons. Don’t misunderstand, I’m not saying those techniques would have saved me. Once I was in his grip, he threw me easily. My karate instructor, at the time, had preached on the importance of understanding of the three ranges of combat and development of the techniques necessary to defend yourself in those ranges, but like all arrogant young black-belts I didn’t listen. After finding myself feeling like a fish out of water, while on my back, I was forced to change in my philosophy and began my training in jujitsu as-well-as karate. In my real-life confrontations, I have been able, in most cases, to finish the altercation while using range-one techniques or a simple range-two throw. I cannot remember one of my fights that actually went to the ground, and that was simply due to my good fortune. My karate now embraces all three ranges of fighting. Yes, I do prefer range-one and I’m not as good in range-two and three, but at least I’m not lost in those situations. You must learn from your karate life-lesson, and I learned from mine.
Without the art of throwing and ground technique, the question remains is karate a complete system? Well… each student and instructor must judge that for themselves. Recent attacks on innocent people shows that many times the fight winds up on the ground, so to be a complete self-defense one must understand tatami-waza, but it also shows that being on the ground is a dangerously vulnerable position. If the fight can be ended standing in range-one, it is a safer tactical position to fight from. If an attacker grabs you, which is a common occurrence, being able to throw them to the ground and escape can be invaluable especially if you are pursued by more than one attacker. Early Okinawan law enforcement trained in the martial arts and had to routinely throw their adversary to the ground and then bind their hands and feet. This is not unlike modern law enforcement. It is my opinion and my personal belief that led me long ago to incorporate throwing and mat technique, along with break-falls into our advanced training. I wait until black belt to be sure the student has mastered atemi-waza before introducing the student to naga-waza and tatami-waza, and I do incorporate jujitsu, to a lesser degree, into my curriculum at kyu levels. However, I do not force students that have no desire to learn the grappling arts to train in that area. Still, it is my belief that throws, and mat technique are needed to make karate a complete system of self-defense.