All-Japan IKS Budō Karate Seminar
Special private technical training for Japanese 'dual members' (that is, Japanese karateka who are also members of other organizations) who are not permitted to train outside their respective groups.
Please note: these are GENERAL NOTES. Accordingly, please excuse any typos or grammatic irregularities as the seminar was conducted in Nihongo.
LINEAR ‘TSUKI’
If you draw back your arm while rotating your forearm, so that the back of your fist faces downwards, then your elbow will settle back correctly.
When extending your tsuki rotate your forearm only after your elbow separates from your side. This is an important point.
If you start turning the fist too early the elbow will point downward and the trajectory of the tsuki will be disturbed.
Always brush the inside of your tsuki arm against the side of your body and keep the fist rotation in mind.
Pull back the elbow fully and, likewise, push it out. This is an important point. If you do not push out your elbow properly the trajectory of your tsuki will be disturbed and it will lose its effectiveness. This is a common error. Therefore spring out your elbow as if it has been hit from behind. Push out the elbow fully explosively as this will speed up your fist.
TACHIKATA
Zenkutsu-Dachi: Outside edge of the front foot to facing forwards. Apply force with both hands on the lead leg to find/feel where the best holding position is.
Bend the knee of the front leg so that the kneecap is directly above the base of the big toe. This is the strongest front leg position. Keep the rear leg straight and set the hips/pelvis fully into the stance.
Maintain a straight back. Draw a straight line from the back of your head to your tailbone.
A common mistake is the tendency to stick the stomach out which causes the buttocks to stick out.
Set your hips/pelvis properly and tighten your abdominal muscles. This is the correct form.
Kokutsu-Dachi: Outside edge of the rear foot faces 90°.
From zenkutsu-dachi, keeping the front leg in the same position, assume kokutsu-dachi.
Bend your rear leg from the hip joint, keeping the rear foot firmly on the ground. Force the rear knee out properly.
Kiba-Dachi: From kokutsu-dachi, the outside edges of both feet face forwards with the body weight centered.
A common mistake is making kiba-dachi too wide.
Now, shift your weight to your rear leg properly (returning to kokutsu-dachi). This is difficult. Store your energy in your back leg to perform a proper kokutsu-dachi.
Basic Exercise of core three ‘Basic Stances’
Firstly, switch from zenkutsu-dachi to kokutsu-dachi; secondly, then to kiba-dachi; thirdly, then again to kokutsu-dachi; and fourthly, back to zenkutsu-dachi.
Do this exercise ten times. Initially it will be hard but, over time, you’ll condition your muscles and transitions between these stances will become easy.
Nekoashi-Dachi: Shotokan karateka tend to incorrectly place their hips precisely on the rear leg. Instead, support 90° of your bodyweight with your rear leg whilst placing your hips behind the back foot. Protect your groin with your thighs and drop your hip joint down. This is an important point.
Basic Exercise for ‘Nekoashi-dachi’
From nekoashi-dachi slowly assume kokutsu-dachi, then in one motion, use your hips to change direction and sift your bodyweight to assume nekoashi-dachi.
Please practice the shift of your bodyweight using hip/pelvis power.
Kihon Renzokuwaza utilizing Nekoashi-dachi
Firstly, use ‘muchiken’. Do these sequences with a smooth flow using the shoulders, arms and hands in a whip-like motion.
Practice: 1. Shuto-uke (kokutsu-dachi) kara gedan-barai (nekoashi-dachi); 2. Age-uke (zenkutsu-dachi) kara gedan-barai (nekoashi-dachi), kizami mae-geri soshite chudan gyaku-zuki (zenkutsu-dachi). 3. Gedan-barai (zenkutsu-dachi) kara chudan uchi-uke (nekoashi-dachi), jodan ura-zuki (zenkutsu-dachi) soshite yori-ashi chudan gyaku-zuki (zenkutsu-dachi); and 4. Shuto-uke (kokutsu-dachi) kara gedan-barai (nekoashi-dachi), kizami mae-geri soshite chudan gyaku-zuki (zenkutsu-dachi).
Note — Keep proper nekoashi-dachi after kicking.
Once again, use ‘muchiken’. Do these sequences with a smooth flow using the shoulders, arms and hands in a whip-like motion.
Note — No Nekoashi-dachi this time, but in the case of: 5. Jodan age-uke with rearward tobi-konde followed by kizami mae-geri and gyaku-zuki.
Note — When moving your lower body rearward and downward via pulling back your hips/pelvis, your upper body contrastingly snaps your arm upward.
UKEWAZA
All the five core ukewaza use a snapping action. To gain power, add forearm rotation to the snapping motion.
The wrist position when making tsuki and uke are different. The outer forearm and the outer part of the fist should form a straight line. This rule concerns Age-uke, Soto-uke, Uchi-uke and Gedan-barai.
Note, that in Gedan-barai, the wrong wrist position will cause weakness due to elbow over extension. Therefore, the outer forearm and the outer part of the fist should form a straight line.
In Shuto chudan-uke the back of the must not be rounded. Keep the shape of the back of the hand flat and tense. Consider Shihon-nukite. Likewise, press the fingers together and tighten your finger tips so you will be able to attack with it, without hurting your fingers.
YOKO-GERI
Yoko-Kekomi: Important points
A. Sit on the floor with your hands behind you supporting yourself.
Kick with your heel sideways at 45°. Firstly to each side separately, then with alternate legs. Each time when kicking load the opposite leg properly for the next kick.
B. Now lay down with your elbows on the floor. Alternately kick at 45° by kicking with one leg and loading the other leg.
C. Standing: Raise the kicking foot to groin level with the kicking knee pointing sideways for superior technical potential.
Make sure to curl your toes upward to form a tight sokuto in order to deliver a strong kick.
Raise the knee, with the sokuto formed, as described and start kicking at gedan height. Step by step, as your ability allows, start kicking to chudan and eventually jodan.
Yoko-Keage: Important points
The hard part to master is the correct withdrawal of the kicking foot.
First develop the yoko-kekomi, secondly, learn to withdraw your kicking foot in a snapping motion. The kick must be delivered with sokuto.
Using your partner as a target (classical old school exercise). Deliver yoko-keage to the body, withdraw the kicking foot back to the original position, then return your kicking foot to the floor.
Raise your kicking foot with your hip muscles, push your hips/pelvis towards your target in a springing motion—as the kick drives out to reach the target.
Look at the after image of your yoko-keage to evaluate the form of the kick. Perform a yoko-kekomi then deliver a yoko-kekomi to the same target to understand the difference between the two kicks.
Balance and ‘height moderation’ of keriwaza
From zenkutsu-dachi, on the spot: the classic ‘Mae-geri keage kara, yoko-geri, mawashi-geri soshite ushiro-geri kekomi’ (Ashi onaji de). Practice kicking with both the right and left legs.
Establish the best targeting for yourself with zero compromise of fundamental kicking form and balance.
GOHON KUMITE and KIHON IPPON KUMITE
Use Jodan age-uke against the opponents conventional jodan oi-zuki then counter with Gyaku-zuki.
However, if the opponent attacks using Tobi-konde for a deep attack, synchronize your movement with theirs by also making Tobi-Konde to escape to maintain the initial maai between you and your opponent.
In Kumite, when making your ukewaza, assume a fudo-dachi like stance and rotate your hips into hanmi. This is critical to withstand a strong attack and to counterattack effectively. Never make your ukewaza with a straight leg. Use ground power by the drive of your knee and rotation of your hips/pelvis.
Special notes: Practice countering kicks with not only Gyaku-zuki but also switching legs and impacting with Jodan oi-zuki.
For Gohon Kumite, jodan, chudan and mae-geri are required for the 7th Kyu and 6th Kyu examinations.
For Kihon Ippon Kumite, jodan, chudan mae-geri, yoko-kekomi, and mawashi-geri are required for the 5th Kyu and 4th Kyu examinations. Moreover, the addition waza of Ushiro-geri kekomi is now required for the 3rd Kyu exams Kihon Ippon Kumite.
Kaiten-shinagara ura shuto-uchi kara haito-uchi
Contract your body whilst rotating and expand when striking with ura shuto uchi.
The development of high-speed rotation is difficult. Do not lose your sense of speed. Trust your body to do the spin and apply the strikes. This is an important point.
Jiyu Ippon Kumite
The attacker should develop a sense of attacking distance. The sense of distance here applies in the way that you move your feet in a sliding motion.
The defender should develop a sense of distance that allows him to react, depending on the depth of the opponent's attack. You should move the back leg by sliding your rear leg.
Remember that you should move back by sliding your rear leg. If you start moving back by using your front leg, then your movement will be in two counts. This will cost you time.
The timing of the counterattack. The point to remember is that you should counterattack immediately after the kick ends the faster one counterattacks is better.
When countering Ushiro-geri, depending on the maai, use either a Gyaku-zuki or Oi-zuki to counter attack. For the Oi-zuki, smoothly switch your feet.
Critical points for Jiyu Kumite
1. Jiyu na gamae
Firstly, relax all of your muscles. Move around freely while keeping them completely relaxed. Drop your hands for a while—then, keeping this relaxed feeling—raise your hands into your Kamae.
The mental image is of muscular weakness equally strong mental fortitude, and not vice-versa. Never tense while assuming a Kamae.
2. Snap back to Kamae
In Kihon, keep the fist of your tsuki at the target (Gohon Kumite and Kihon Ippon Kumite). But in Jiyu Kumite vigorously throw your fist at the target and withdraw it back (snap back) whilst controlling the level of impact to avoid injuring your training partner.
3. Reaching the opponent via Unsoku: Yose-ashi
At first utilize Yose-ashi (closing step with the back foot) and deliver kizami-zuki kara gyaku-zuki. By using this step you will be able hit your opponent even if they try to escape.
Nowadays, in Jiyu Kumite, opponents are moving around constantly. You must be able to catch them no matter how they move. Therefore, keep pursuing your opponent until you defeat them.
Keep note that along with reaching out with your front foot, always close in with your back foot to maintain your attacking potential.
It is standard practice in Shōtōkan to use footwork such as yose-ashi to attain your optimal attacking maai. Accordingly, keep training your unsoku on a daily basis, until you reach perfection.
3. Chudan-zuki and Jodan-zuki: hip level is the same
Attack jodan while setting your same stance as attacking chudan; that is, do not allow your hips to rise when attacking jodan. Instead, deliver your attack from below.
4. Kicking in Jiyu Kumite
The knee raises to the front when making mawashi-geri. Not to the side like in kihon training.
Change the direction of the kick via the hips.
Limit your opponent's understanding of what kick is coming at them. From the frontal knee position mae-geri, mawashi-geri, yoko-geri or uramawashi-geri can be launched by hip action.
Attacking and Counterattacking Jiyu Kumite Renzokuwaza
From jiyu na gamae
1. Kizami-zuki kara gyaku-zuki, mae-geri keage, oi-zuki, gyaku-zuki, mawashi-geri, uraken yokomawashi uchi soshite gyaku-zuki (as always, train both sides equally).
Note — Going out, the three renzokuwaza should be performed in three counts. Returning, all the three renzokuwaza should be performed in one count.
2. Kizami-zuki kara gyaku-zuki, shift back jodan sotonagashi-uke, gyaku-zuki, mae-geri keage, oi-zuki, gyaku-zuki, shift back to 45 degrees gedan-barai, gyaku-zuki, mawashi-geri, uraken yokomawashi uchi, gyaku-zuki, shift back to 45 degrees jodan uchi-uke soshite gyaku-zuki (again, as always, train both sides equally).
Note — Going out, the three renzokuwaza should be performed in three counts. Returning, all the three renzokuwaza should be performed in one count.
Key Points:
Firstly, in these renzokuwaza do not tense the upper body at all.
Secondly, do not shake your shoulders when attacking.
Thirdly, do not lose your speed by stamping your feet when landing after keriwaza as it will cost you very valuable time. Therefore, after kicking keep a smooth flow allowing you to continue your attacking maai. This is a critical point.
KATA: 八歩連 (Happōren)
Kata.
Bunkai/Ōyo.
©️ IKS Japan Sohonbu Dojo (2026).
