Kumite tips?

[residentrenzo]

Hello again!

I'm reading the forum about footwork. I'd like to understand that part about moving in angles, never step back straight line, etc.

Besides working for cardio and endurance, which I need to work on... Are there any drills to improve kumite?
Thanx,
OSU!

[meguro]

Footwork, IMO, is a means to an end, the end being good position. Good, for me, is being in a place where I can attack with little risk, and also where my attacks offer the best leverage. Footwork is not the only way to obtain good position- you can move your opponent into places more advantageous for you with your attacks. This is possible if you understand your opponent- does he /she circle left or right when you attack? Attack and have the opponent circle into your Jodan mawashi Geri.

A good way of training footwork is to have the younger, lower ranked students chase you with non-stop attacks. You may not block, or step back more than two steps, but try to avoid getting hit. There are other ways to go about it, but really it's about understanding position. How you get there? any number of ways.

[residentrenzo]

I see... thanks a lot Meguro!

You've explained it very well! I'm asking this because I get a lot of chudan sukis and mae geri kicks - I do have some endurance but get exhausted eventually. My cardio is fine but I don't do any besides regular dojo sessions. Also getting kicked in the head which I don't like (feels l'm being owned  ).

When I do kumite I'm just thinking "Don't get hit, gotta get this guy" and fail to observe any patterns he/she is doing. Kind of nervous, really.

As for my own arsenal, I'm being told I am an infighter. At 170m and 87kg, I prefer to rush and corner my opponents so most people avoid getting trapped when I fight them. I do get tired a lot chasing guys on the mat though. Can't kick high (just about waist level) but got a good punch, so I'll have to choose other weapons.

So, answer is basically answer is moving more but with a plan in mind (which I don't have BTW)... right?

Osu!

[meguro]

Those without a plan plan to fail. Look, you can move with sidesteps, shuffling, lunges, even back peddling. BTW, the rule about no backing up was made by folks who don't throw jump spinning back kicks or domawashi kaitengeri- what better way to add power to your technique than to have your opponent step into it. There's more to footwork than moving around. A plan helps, but plans need to take into account different opponents and their capabilities. infighting and fighting from the outside are solutions to different problems.. Many make use of only one style, and that will limit them eventually. Try to be the smarter fighter.

first thing I would do is make an inventory of your skills. What are your reliable technique? Then consider how best to set them up, more specifically, where does the opponent have to be? BTW, squarely in front is not an answer unless you like even odds or worse. you must also consider what your opponent's favorite technique might be. Where would he like you? Try not to be there. On top of this, you must introduce some randomness. You do not want to be predictable. You see, it's more than just moving more.

[residentrenzo]

first thing I would do is make an inventory of your skills. What are your reliable technique? Then consider how best to set them up, more specifically, where does the opponent have to be? BTW, squarely in front is not an answer unless you like even odds or worse. you must also consider what your opponent's favorite technique might be. Where would he like you? Try not to be there. On top of this, you must introduce some randomness. You do not want to be predictable. You see, it's more than just moving more.

Makes a lot of sense. So far I've got this:

1.-Chudan gyaku suki - only when close
2.-Mae geri chudan - strong, often gets blocked
3.-Mawashi geri gedan - not very effective   

About set up: That would have to be more or less on their side, like the way Enshin style explains position 1 and 2 on "Sabaki Techniques" book. Most opponents throw jodan mawashi geri (I'm an easy target at 1.70m) and I can't kick high to reach their heads so they know I don't retaliate. They normally set it with some punching combo. It's safer when there's 2-3 meters distance. That way I have time to see them coming.

So I should get to position 1 and 2 and attack... And when I'm not attacking should be just running around opponents so as to flank them? I mean, I gotta be somewhere when I'm not attacking (preferably a safer spot). And since I can't do a mae geri from the side should I stop them with geri gedan?

About randomness... I'd have to make that up as I go, hit or miss. Maybe throwing feints?

From what I've seen, good kickers like to keep within their kicking range. Stand too close - they move away. Stand too far - they close in with lunging punches and front kicks. My reaction time is still slow so when I see the attack it has already connected. So there's nothing I can do but run away anyway  
Now I see why it's best to NEVER be directly in front of stronger, faster opponents.

Thank you for your ideas, Meguro. I'll think thoroughly on this and try to come up with a solution.
OSU!

[meguro]

I have fought tough guys at your height, residentrenzo. They were either flexible, fast and had good fight sense, or immobile mounds of muscle and bone. you're somewhere in between and a chudan tsuki is not much to work with. Let's work on the timing of your gedan mawashi Geri. If your head is the frequent target of Jodan mawashigeri, use it to your advantage. Expect the high kick, bait them to throw it, sweep their standing leg with an inside low kick. Also, learn how to receive Mae Geri so that you can counter with a low kick after you force their leg forward and down. Obviously, you don't want them to rechamber that Mae Geri.

Getting kicked in the head is not fun. If this is going to continue, do some neck strengthening exercises. All karateka should be doing bridges and head stands. Build up the trapezius muscles as well. Build up your core as well so that shots to your midsection do not force you to drop your guard.

Learn the shovel hook, and use it to set up your chudan tsuki and vice versa.

[residentrenzo]

learn how to receive Mae Geri so that you can counter with a low kick after you force their leg forward and down.

You mean block parry with my arm to push their kicking leg outside and sweep them when resulting opening is created, like this?

[residentrenzo]

High kick counter:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=POwOhRnYixs

Will try these parry and counter moves next kumite practice session.

Perhaps I could be drill with partner, but then that would givie away my defense plan

Osu!

[MMX]

This is a very basic explanation but it combines footwork with position and attack.

[meguro]

There ya go, residentrenzo, you had the answers all along!

Such a ample thing, MMX, but it gets lost sometimes. I just watched a Mike Tyson vid where he comments on the knockout punch- the punch the opponent doesn't see coming, which involves of course stepping off line like in your vid.

[meguro]

There ya go, residentrenzo, you had the answers all along!

Such a ample thing, MMX, but it gets lost sometimes. I just watched a Mike Tyson vid where he comments on the knockout punch- the punch the opponent doesn't see coming, which involves of course stepping off line like in your vid.

[azam]

Thought I'd add my issues as well to this thread rather than begin a whole new one.

I've had long term issues with my knees recently (I'm 26) - I partially tore my lcl in my left knee a few years back - eventually after a long time it got better - with the odd bouts of stiffness here & there however recently I damaged my right knee over something that shouldn't really have damaged it at Kudo practise. I literally felt my knee do a wobble and I know from experience it's a ligament issue.

I don't know if I have some propensity to getting knee injuries but it's made me think about adapting my game so I don't keep getting these injuries & suffer from chronic knee issues later on.

To that end - with my knees getting wrecked to occasionally for my liking and my flexibility becoming more of an issue because of it (I feel like the stretching is making my knees worse rather than better too) - I wanted to ask if you guys think it's a handicap to exclusively work on leg & body kicking and avoided the head?

I know for some in knockdown like Kazumi it wasn't an issue although if that was in his arsenal I guess he'd have the ability to finish fights a lot quicker not that he had an issue with that in his career.

I'm guessing what I'm asking is - is it a liability not to have head kicks in your arsenal for kumite or are there work-arounds that you can get away with like Kazumi?

[meguro]

Not having high kicks in Kudo is like missing "Burnt Siena" from a box of Crayola 64. it's the chronic knee injuries, or the propensity for them that gives concern. What's going on there? Are you training/fighting in a dehydrated state? Lots of seams in the mat or other falling hazards? Overweight? Tall, slim and loose limbed? Been on antibiotics before the knee injuries?

[MMX]

Another variable...

Are your knees taking too much force because your CORE is weak? Force transfers. If you core is weak it will come back to the joints. Since really working on OS and more core oriented work my kicks and punches are actually stronger than ever.

[azam]

Tbh I'm not entirely sure why I'm having knee issues. It's been a while since I had a serious one but still I notice that my knees are taking a lot of hammering.

I'm stocky at 170cm & about 73.5kg - a bit overweight but nothing really noticeable. Maybe it's from fasting for a month - as I did lose a bit of weight & I was exercising regularly during all 30 days - mainly jump rope, kettlebells & macebell. I did do a lot of jump rope though (as I wanted to work on my cardio) so maybe that might have contributed to the stress on the knees but I was doing it properly with my knees bent - maybe it was too much with not enough recovery.

Apart from that nothing really else I can think of. I drink a lot of fluids throughout the day so I don't think it is dehydration.

It could be that my work is quite sedentary as I have to sit at a computer from 9 to 5. So I'm spending most of the working day sitting down except for training or when I'm out on the weekends.

I don't think it's nutritional issue or hydration though as I eat quite healthily & drink plenty of water.

I do tend to get soreness - not to the degree where my knee wobbles like it did in Kudo - that was a first in a long long time. But I do tend to get occasional soreness of the knees - now and then. At other times there are no issues though.