How To Fix The Back Stance (Kokutsu Dachi) In Shotokan Karate
Posted: Thursday, August 12, 2010
by Al Case
http://www.alcasebooks.com/
Shotokan Karate is one of the most important karates styles in the world, so many systems are derived from this style, and thus are corrupted with some very incorrect concepts. Thus, whether you study Shito ryu, Isshin Ryu, Kyokushinkai, or any style that has the Heian kata as a base, you probably are making the errors I am listing in this article. It doesn't mean your karate stance is terrible, it just means if you make a couple of adjustments you can make it better.
In the Shotokan kokutsu dachi stance, however, the ability to be mobile or solid has been compromised. If you study the feet you will see that they are pointing in directions that are more than ninety degrees apart. This means the stance can't make up its mind whether it is supposed to be mobile or solid.
If the rear foot is angling away from the target the major muscles are not pointing towards the target. The foot being in the incorrect position means that there is not going to be enough traction for the foot. The leg being pointed in the wrong direction means that the major thrusting muscles of the leg can't be properly utilized.
in addition, the hips won't be facing the right way, and when one pushes with the leg there will be an 'energy leak,' in the body. That is to say that the hips will not be strong enough to maintain the energy of the push. This can be severe enough to weaken the back, and even (in rare cases) lead to damage to the lower back.
To fix this stance all one needs to do is turn the rear foot towards the target to about 45 degrees or less. This will angle the foot for better traction, and set up the major muscles for the push when one launches the body towards the target. Of course, this is going to alter the basic nature of the stance.
Thus, when you turn the foot correctly, you are going to have to figure out the proper angle of the hips, and set the weight more on the rear leg. Doing this will prepare the body for maximum push, but shotokan instructors will resist this alignment of the body for a simple reason: it lacks the feel of shotokan power. But this merely proves that the system has been corrupted for the feeling and sake of power, and not for the balance between sinking the weight and launching the body.
To get past this, Shotokan masters have arranged the style to rely on overly aggressive front stances. What they have done is okay, but only in specific situations, and the proof is in the fact that the back stance is more for rooting than for shooting. Thus, you have a choice, do what you are told in Shotokan Karate, or other classical martial arts systems, or evaluate the physics I have presented here and change your stance in accordance with these physics.
The difference between art and slop in shotokan karate is in the physics. If you want to learn The Correct Physics of shotokan karate drop by 25 Martial Arts Books . 0
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