TACIT KARATE

The majority of highly advanced techniques, principles and applications in karate can be best explained as tacit or unspoken knowledge.

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An example of tacit karate are the oyo-jutsu (applications) of the numerous forms of double punches in Shotokan such as heiko-zuki, awase-zuki, yama-zuki, hasami-zuki and others. These punches more than often attack corresponding points on the human body which greatly magnify their destructiveness. Such techniques are most effective at close range, typically in a self-defense context to finish an attacker. If explicitly taught with their respective kyusho (vital points) they are extremely dangerous, even performed with moderate power. A very basic example could be a seiken hasami-zuki simultanously impacting on the opponents throat and base of their skull (first cervical vertebra).

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Of course other traditional karate styles such as Goju-ryu, Wado-ryu, Shito-ryu, Uechi-ryu, Ryuei-ryu and Shorin-ryu also have these techniques, which are equally effective, but with slightly different form.

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The widespread use of double punches in all of the traditional styles is highly indicative of how much they were valued by the old masters and effectively employed in hand-to-hand combat. Therefore, double punches are an excellent of example of tacit karate knowledge handed down from the past. Needless to say, tacit knowledge in karate is tactit knowledge for a good reason!

© André Bertel. Christchurch, New Zealand 2011.