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BUDO SPARRING
Author: Floyd Burk
Dynamic, powerful, fluid and almost limitless when it comes to techniques. That's how budo-based sparring has been described. It's a form of combat training that can really knock your socks off, no matter what style of karate you happen to be studying or what your goals are.
"Budo-based sparring is a key component of budo-based karate," says Joe Mirza. "It's versatile because it's effective for self-defense and competition." Mirza has trained in shotokan karate since the 1960s, so you can rest assured he knows what he's talking about. In fact, the Black Belt Hall of Fame member has done so much within the art-grueling physical training, teaching, research and so on-that karate icon Ray Dalke dubbed him the "human martial arts encyclopedia and training manual."
So what exactly is budo-based karate? "It's the term I use when referring to Japanese karate instead of [the term] 'traditional karate,' " Mirza says.
What distinguishes budo-based kumite from sport-karate sparring is that in Mirza's model, the development and foundation of the art are maintained. There are several competition venues for budo-based sparring in which the scoring method utilizes the same principles that apply to hand-to-hand combat, he says. They include atemi (vital-point striking), kime (focused power) and zanshin (alertness or attentiveness).
Before you can implement those principles, however, you must become proficient at ma-ai and kyo. Unfortunately, that's easier said than done. The best place to begin is with a short review of the meaning of kumite.
Definitions
"Kumite, along with kihon (basics) and kata (forms), is a key component of karate and a building block for teaching budo," Mirza says. "Kumi means 'to bring together' and te means 'hand'-it's common to use te to imply the skills used in karate training. Therefore, kumite in essence expresses the idea of bringing together these skills. Practicing kihon and kata and then doing kumite allows you to improve your posture, vision, timing and balance, and to eventually forge your mind, spirit and body into one harmonious unit. When you've done this, you will understand ma-ai and kyo and be able to put them into practice."
Mirza emphasizes that you can't do just kumite. No matter how long you've trained in karate, you must diligently practice the basics to build muscle memory. "It's like a professional baseball player," he says. "He can't just go out and bat only in games. The coach is consistently sending him to the batting cage to practice his basics and break things down. The same goes for kumite."
Ma-ai refers to distance and timing-and then some. Martial artists like to say, "To defeat your opponent, you need to put better distance and timing into it." Unfortunately, it isn't quite so easy because ma-ai is not something you just know.
"Your ma-ai skills will vary according to your training, technical ability, strength, physical propulsive power and emotional commitment to triumph," Mirza says. "It takes a lot of sparring with many different opponents to develop your ma-ai."
He adds: "Ma-ai should be thought of as a dynamic process which also can be looked upon as intervals. This dynamic process, a function of movement as measured in distance and time, is vital for successfully deploying your techniques and for avoiding a serious blow."
Ma-ai is both offense and defense; hence, it's an important part of kumite strategy. One implementation of it involves drawing your opponent to the edge of his physical power range while maneuvering him into yours. From there, you can hit him hard, but he must adjust his position to hit you hard. To better understand how that works, you need to analyze the meaning of kyo.
Budo's Big Stick
Kyo refers to mental or physical openings in your opponent's defenses. In budo sparring, you identify or create such openings, then exploit them with proper atemi, kime and zanshin. "Kyo can be present when your opponent has a mental void caused by doubt, anger or fear," Mirza says. "Likewise, the simple act of inhaling or exhaling creates a kyo. During the transition point at the end of an exhalation or the beginning of an inhalation, your opponent's ability to react is substantially diminished."
These subtle openings are small disruptions in his status. Your capacity to identify them comes from being in harmony with your opponent and having the sensitivity to recognize them as soon as they occur. That's achieved by entering the situation with a balanced state of mind, spirit and body and by maintaining that balance. The experience you gain from working with many sparring partners also helps.
"Your ma-ai training will then help you succeed in taking advantage of the kyo that presents itself during these disruptions," Mirza says.
Being skilled at identifying subtle openings in your opponent's armor is a huge payoff because it can empower you to blast him while he's in transition-either deciding when to attack you or initiating his assault. "This is known in budo as sen no sen. It's the [warrior's] primary weapon for ensuring victory in a street fight," Mirza says.
The real fun in budo sparring comes from using diversionary strategies or offensive or defensive combinations to disrupt your opponent's harmony and create openings for you to finish him. The following are four such methods.
Elbow Smash and Arm Break
Strategy: Using sen no sen, you identify an opening in your opponent's defenses and seize the initiative before he knows what's happening.
Execution: Adopt a right fighting stance and square off with your opponent, who's in a left stance. As soon as you notice a lapse in his defensive perimeter, charge forward with your rear leg, then execute a left upward elbow strike to the face. If he responds with a lead-hand punch, you simply deflect it with your free hand. Follow up by dropping a downward elbow strike onto the back of his arm, breaking his limb.
Spinning Back Kick to the Solar Plexus
Strategy: "Go no sen means you take advantage of a kyo during your opponent's attempt to carry out a technique against you," Mirza says. "You create the kyo by applying pressure so he'll attack you with a technique you can easily defend [against] while luring him into position to hit him with a counterstrike."
Execution: You and your opponent face each other in a left fighting stance. Partially close the gap and throw a right reverse punch, leaving your arm out just long enough to expose your torso to his reverse punch. As he attacks, shift into a short back stance and move off-line to avoid the punch. (When you reposition, you should wind up at a distance where, regardless of his forward movement, his punch barely reaches your left shoulder.) Having created the opening and the distance, Mirza says, you counter with a spinning back kick.
Dump Throw and Face Stomp
Strategy: Itsuki is a transition between movements. "A stall at the top or end of a technique before the next move is initiated affords you a kyo that can be used," Mirza says.
Execution: As you begin, you and your adversary are in a left fighting stance. You notice that he's gazing at your head while shifting his weight to his lead leg. Just as you conclude he's preparing to launch a front kick at your face, you see that it's on its way. Immediately drop into a low forward stance and evade the blow. As his leg reaches full extension, the kyo is present. "Since you're under the kick, you're in perfect position to lift his kicking leg and dump him on his back," Mirza says. "Continue holding that leg and stomp him in the face."
Roundhouse Kick
Strategy: "Tai no sen is reaching your goal before your opponent reaches his, somewhere between the beginning and the end of his attack," Mirza says. The opening can be created with an angling diversionary tactic.
Execution: You and your opponent adopt a left fighting stance. You're waiting for a strike to come, not caring what he eventually throws because you're ready to instantly angle off the line of attack. If he uses a lead-punch-reverse-punch combination, move your rear leg to the right as soon as the first fist approaches. That shifts your body to the outside of his blow. As it passes you, his body becomes vulnerable. Before he can initiate his second strike, drive a roundhouse kick into his abdomen. "This is a great combination for competition," Mirza says. ...