Modified and Restricted Striking

Real world application of the somewhat formalised movement pathways in karate kata for percussive impact require the ability to maximise function away from the clear and uninterrupted line of standard performance. Specifically, strikes need to be able to work under pressure, at varying ranges, with modifications on the fly and from uncomfortable positions. This can never be achieved through repetition in thin air or even against a makiwara, heavy bag or focus mitt for instance unless of course such levels of pressure, range, modification and restriction are thoroughly explored and incorporated.

For self-protection, Hick's Law suggests that it pays to have a single 'go-to' striking technique that's been comprehensively honed to provide a high level of confidence in its ability to serve you well should it ever need to be relied upon.  However, repetitively generating a powerful palm strike for instance against a heavy bag does not equate to a technique that's been 'comprehensively honed'. Here are a few ideas to try during training to help check if your strikes are really as functional as you need them to be.

• Adjust the range: try launching your strike from outside arms-length, at arms-length and inside arms-length. Then strike with your hand progressively closer to the target, until you're touching with your finger tips. 

• Adjust your position: work your strike from standing, kneeling, sat on a chair, sat on the floor, on one leg, lying on your back, against a wall, in a confined space, around barriers and combinations of these. 

• Adjust the target's position: Practice striking against a moving target, at a reacting target, at a protected target, at a target from the side, from behind, on the floor, a taller opponent, a shorter opponent etc.

• Pre-fatigue yourself: perform some high intensity exercise beforehand so that you're striking from an empty (or close to empty) tank. 

• Launch under fire: Have a training partner (or training partners) provide some pressure by striking you, pushing/pulling you, shouting at you, swearing at you etc...now try to strike during this!

• Pre-empt and react: Practice striking from both pre-emptive and reactive scenarios. Have a training partner surprise you at any time during training so that your strike must be employed suddenly and without any preparation whatsoever. 

• Take off the gloves: Of course, hand protection has numerous benefits during impact training and should be used in order to capitalise on these, but if you're not gaining sufficient experience in striking with a bare hand, then you're simply not preparing for everyday use. Road running with trainers is not the same as road running bare foot. Likewise, hitting with a bare hand is NOT the same as hitting with gloves.  

• Change the environment: Get out of the dojo and your dogi! Practice striking outside on the grass, on uneven terrain, in a restroom or toilet, sitting on your living room chair, in the car, in bed, during lunch, at night or in low light conditions, whilst on your phone, when holding a coffee...in numerous everyday situations.  

• Use different scenarios: gain experience in employing your strike (or choosing not to employ your strike) in response to numerous changing scenarios, so that your mind needs to deal with the situation at hand, leaving the mechanics of the strike very much on autopilot.  

Solo-Training for Percussive Impact

In response to the recent social distancing restrictions imposed on dojo practices due to the pandemic, I set to work on developing a comprehensive solo-focus mitt training system called 'Solo-Strike'. The initial goal was to use solo-strike as a supplementary method for my students to bridge the gap until we were able to resume contact training once again. However, it became very obvious from the onset that contextually driven solo-focus mitt training can be an extremely valuable practice for any karate-ka to add to their regime. 

Click HERE to watch some solo-strike sample drills that take inspiration from classical kata choreography!

Although a responsive training partner may be the ideal, there's no reason why you can't still make practical progress in your striking ability through solo training. Here's how you can make use of solo-strike drills using some of the ideas above. All you need is a single focus mitt and a dose of imagination...

• Adjust the range simply by setting the target either closer or further away from the body. Move the target around to simulate a dynamic target. The fact that you have one hand in a focus mitt means that your 'index' is inherently doing it's job as a target locator and range finder!
• Work your strikes from a range of compromised positions - use your imagination and practice striking in all sorts of weird orientations! 
• You can integrate some solo-strike drills into a fitness-based session and use the opportunity to pre-fatigue before striking - win/win!
• Strike bare-handed and using a variety of different weapons. Against a single focus mitt, you can effectively train punches, palms, knife-hands, ridge hands, elbows bottom fists, ripping and gouging, twisting, crushing and many other percussive techniques or manipulations!
• Practice solo drills from every room in your house, make use of potential escape routes and use the opportunity to consider what weapons of opportunity may be lying around too!
• Stand in front of the TV and pop on any programme. Every time the scene changes or someone else speaks in the scene, launch your strike! This is a great way of training visual reaction without the need of a training partner!

We have to always keep in mind that performing a powerful 'looking' technique inside of a formal kata sequence, fully warmed up, in a nice dojo and without external threat or resistance of any kind is a world away from trying to hit hard a moving target when your safety (or the safety of a loved one) depends on it, within a stressful escalating situation, in a confined space, uneven terrain or badly lit area and against a fully resisting antagonist in your face.

Functional striking is less about the perfectly honed kata execution or challenging board break, but rather, about being able to generate sufficient and consistent impact from within restriction, employing modifications adapted on the fly and launched from challenging/compromised positions.

Functional striking is arguably the single most important (and clinical) physical protection strategy you need for self-protection. So investing time in your ability to hit hard, along with ingraining pragmatic tactics to help maximise the probability of success is in my opinion, a valuable investment indeed! 

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I hope this brief blog post has provided some inspiration and ideas to help benefit your training - thanks for reading, stay safe and best wishes 🙏