Renshusei from Szczecin, Poland (Part Two): 武道空手の間合い (BUDO KARATE NO MAAI)

One aspect of my karate, which many Renshusei want to study, is 武道空手の間合い (BUDO KARATE NO MAAI); that is, the distancing in Budo Karate.

In the International Karate Shotokan, this MAAI is the only methodology we study.

This applies to:

① 五本組手 and 三本組手 (Gohon Kumite and Sanbon Kumite);

② 基本一本組手 (Kihon Ippon Kumite);

③ 自由一本組手 (Jiyu Ippon Kumite);

④ 返し自由一本組手 (Kaeshi Jiyu Ippon Kumite); and 

⑤ 自由組手 (Jiyu Kumite).

Needless to say, this also applies to all other types of Kumite  drills and partner exercises; however, these constitute the five main forms.

So what exactly is Budo Karate distancing?

It is the correct MAAI to inflect maximum damage with one’s waza.

To reiterate, CONTROL is to arrest the waza without impacting-even though it's in the right range to cause maximum damage. 

This means the hips are fully committed. Accordingly, the control is not fully extending the impacting limb but, rather stopping on, or near the surface of the target.

I need to clarify this.  In Budo Karate “…reaching tagging the opponent is the same as missing them”. There are no arbitrary ‘points’.

In sum, each waza must be executed for ‘full contact’; that is, should you decide to hit with maximum impact, you always can. Anything else is not real karate and has no relationship to Budo/Bujutsu. 

Yes, in dojo kumite and competition don’t harm your training partner/opponent, but every waza must have the capacity to do so—if you do not arrest it. This is BUDO KARATE NO MAAI.

In the IKS (International Karate Shotokan) we do not PLAY KARATE, we practice it as TRADITIONAL BUDO/BUJUTSU. Therefore, our training of MAAI must always be seeking the objective of Ichigeki Hissatsu. Anything less, is not true Karate-Do as it deviates from the origin of the art, which is the original tradition and technical purpose.

To conclude I'd like to thank Pawel Karpow Sensei (3rd Dan) and Arsenij Karpow Sensei (3rd Dan) who are featured in the images of this article.

Again, as the article stated, the maai is optimal for a full power impact; furthermore, the CONTROL is arresting the waza without harming the training partner.

押忍！！