It seems to me that most karateka never reach their full potenial in impact power.I did karate for many years in the seventies and eighties studying with such masters as the late Enoeda Sensei and Asano Sensei.But even then there was this nagging doubt of whether my punches really had sufficent power to take an opponent out ie:the one punch,kill concept.From karate I drifted into the Chinese Martial Arts.Most of these had the same problem,something was missing.In the late eighties I started studying the work of the Japanese combat scientist,Kenichi Sawai.Sawai had fought a man called Wang Xiangzhai in China and had been defeated.At the time Sawai was a 5th dan judo and a very competent martial artist.Sawai studied for 12 years with Wang Xiangzhai and then returned to Japan where he named the art Taikiken.I started studing the methods of Taikiken in 1990 and found that after 2 years of practice I was generating far more power than I had been able to produce when practicing karate.

Why is this so?Well taikiken and its Chinese counter-part yiquan developes an animal type of power that is difficult for the opponent to stop.This is achieved through the practice of ritsuzen and hai(a very slow and crouched walk,hardly moving at all).From this training comes the explosive power that this art is famous for.This power can be applied to all karate techniques and an opponent can be flicked 6ft and suffer whiplash.In the street the blows can be delivered from inches awy and still have the power of a full strike.An opponent can be knocked senseless with slaps around the face,and I have used the chest strike(short reverse punch to Ko a street attacker.The idea is to hit the opponent before he launches his attack,there's no time to block in the street.The double hip strike is another way of increasing the power of a reverse punch by a factor of 4.

The late Mas Oyama was a friend of Kenichi Sawai and a lot of Takiken's principles have been used in Kyokushin karate.Any karateka can gain from studying the works of Kenichi Sawai and get a real increase in power.There is no need to do another art,just incorporste these principles into your training.

Shortly I am joining a local GKR dojo as I want to get back into karate.From what I have seen of GKR practitioners that I have met they seem a decent bunch of people.If anyone wants more info on this I will supply the details.

i'm very interested, with my little powder puff punches i need all the help i can get.so if you don't mind sending me some info i'd be very grateful thanks.

Yah, Yah, I'm interested too.

Welcome to the board too, Tony.

Me Me Me!!!

Anything to improve my karate without affecting my karate :thumbgrin:
Does such training have to be done with particular style? So like I have to do another style under some guidance? Or it's pretty much like training myself at home?

welcome, and thanks for a great post Tony.
Youve got all our attentions so please, go on!!!

Thanks for the interest.I am busy at the moment but I will put something together over the weekend that will try to get the principles of yiquan/taikiken across and how they can fit in with your karate.I will also try and explain the principles of the double hip strike which is far easier to learn than yiquan and gives results in a short space of time.

Cheers

cool looking forward to it and thanks :thumbwink:

*Bounces from foot to foot* I wanna know now! Aww...

calm down younging all in good time, damn youngsters now days

Take a look at the link below.If you go to System Demo's and Training then go to the video clip of Colonel Misha Ryabko and Vladimir Vasilev you will see the kind of punching I do.With my system I have had the same kind of results in street attacks.The martial art these men practise is called Systema and is Russian in origin.Its principles are very similar to yiquan.These men also practice karate so doing the two side by side is no problem.This stuff is just more use in a street attack.The video clips look like fakes but rest assured I know a taichi instructor in the UK who trains with this pair and they are the real deal.Both are members of Spetsnaz,the Russian equivalent of the SAS.They emphasise relaxation above all else which is a department in which most karate practioners have a lot of work to do.A short relaxed punch with proper body mechanics will have far more power than a screaming,tense reverse punch.I will post some information on body mechanics and relaxation in the next few days.

Keep training hard.

Cheers

http://system-chicago.com/movies.htm

Whootah, knife fighting.

Anyway, those moves look insane. The guys don't look like they're doing anything, and yet the guy on the receiving end is going down each time. It looks fake too, but I don't think you can fake the expressions on faces. The guy in the blue shirt near the end certainly wasn't faking.

Teach me...

Brodius

I can assure you those techniques are not fake.I hit one of the GKR men I train with the other day and he was knocked 6ft backwards and his chest hurt.He had 12inches of closed cell foam protecting his chest and my punch was only half power.

Take it from me ,these things work.Learn from these men because they are the best.The Colonel led part of the operation on the Moscow Cinema to rescue the hostages last year.They are highly trained martial artists and from what I have been told very decent men who tell their students everything.Vladimir now lives in Canada and the Colonel is connected with special operations at the Interior Ministry in Moscow.Spetsnaz have a lot top offer for self defence students.Their training can be a bit brutal but street attackers are brutal and it needs a brutal man to deal with them.

Cheers

Below I have posted a link to an article on Kimura Sensei,the inventor of the double hip strike.The article will give you some idea of the power that can be developed through this technique.I had the honour of meeting Kimura Sensei when he lived in the UK and I can vouch for the fact that he had the hardest punch I have ever known and I have trained with Enoeda Sensei and Asano Sensei but neither had the power of that man.

Over the weekend I will post some instructions on how to do this technique but please be patient as its got to be described properly.


http://www.allinfighting.com/Makiwara.html

No, no. I didn't mean that I thought the moves were fake, just that they look fake. The force from those moves looks insane.

Thanks for all this info, and can't wait for the next bunch of info you're putting up.

I have found a site which has extracts from Sawai Sensei's book on Taikiken.It will save me writing everything down and Sawaai Sensei can explain things far better than me.Its best to start with the standing exersise for 10 minutes per day then do 10 minutes of the hai exersise.Two points:1.Keep the heels on the ground when standing,its too hard for beginers to stand on the balls of their feet.2.Don't go so low on the hai exersise as its easy to hurt the knees when you first start.When doing the hai exersise it is inportant to get a sense of moving foward as if springing at an opponent.You must be fully relaxed whilst doing both exersises.There is no need to do any more of the exersises at this stage but practicing these two exersises must be done everyday.You will find an improvement to your karate after a couple of weeks in kicking power and the ability to move around like a cat.The body gets very springy after 6 months of practice.

The book is out of print so we are very lucky that Ron Nansik has been kind enough to put this book on line.Ron was a student of Sawai Sensei and a Koyokushinkai blacklbelt.Its worth reading all the articles on the Taikiken site because you will be able to see the connection with karate.

If you have any questions on this training leave them here and I will do my best to answer them.After 6 months of this training I am sure you will be winning at kumite.In the book you will find an interesting way of dealing with roundhouse kicks but it does need a fair amount of spring power to knock the opponent to the ground.

Follow the link below.


http://www.taikiken.org/index.html

I have read all of the posts on hard punching. While I agree with most of it for real situations, I just like to point out a few things. Don’t get carried away with the idea of “one strike to kill”, as it could have dire legal consequences. The law still only allows “reasonable force” against an attacker. Also consider that GKR is NON CONTACT! So perhaps it’s just as important to practise your control. Just keep that in mind at the next tournament, so we can have a show of skills and not have the First Aid people do overtime.

I think Tony only used the one strike to kill as an example, and not as something we should all go out and achieve as soon as we have the capabilities, even if it's a situaton where it's be self defence.

Also, we learn self control in sparring so as not to hit the opponent, so even if we broaden our techinques and power, we're not going to ignore the fact that we're in a non contact style. Taikiken, as I see it, can still be used in the real world outside the dojo when you have to drastically protect yourself.

Hi,

The" one punch kill" saying is a Japanese thing.It dosen't have to be taken in that context.It means stopping the opponent with your first hit :ie knocking him out or making him unable to continue.Killing is the last option and should be avoided at all costs.

Self defence is a very difficult subject due to the legal nicities.What is reasonable force?In my opinion its using enough force to allow you to escape,its not reasonable to beat the hell out of the opponent when he's on the ground.The techniques I have outlined are less likley to kill someone than other methods which can be done with light force.I have no intention of putting these methods on this forum due to children reading the posts.Hitting the chest with a powerful,high impact strike knocks out the central nervous system,it does not kill the attacker.Its more like using a stun gun.Slapping the face has the same effect and causes less damage than a punch.

GKR is a non-contact style and I for one would never hit an opponent in kumite.Infact I had over 400 bouts when doing shotokan and always remained in control.Its more than could be said for my opponents as I have suffered a broken arm and ribs in bouts.


It should be noted that Kenichi Sawai never killed or badly injured an opponent in full contact bouts so this type of training does breed self control.If know you have heavy striking power you are far more likley to walk away from trouble due to the fact that you have little to prove.The frightend person who is in doubt of his/her abilities is more likley to try to "prove" themselves.

It should be noted that all the sparring done in Taikiken is full contact without any protection.The theory is you should be able to protect yourself by doing the prior training.Sparring dosen't take place until after 2 years as it is quite frightening.

It should be noted that all the sparring done in Taikiken is full contact without any protection.The theory is you should be able to protect yourself by doing the prior training.Sparring dosen't take place until after 2 years as it is quite frightening.

Tony, just correct me if I'm wrong =) Are you a sensei at Brentwood?

Could you explain me about the article Makiwara training, I'm sort of confused with how it's being explained. Is it just the ordinary makiwara board with few gaps between the board? Korean makiwara board? One made of wood witha leather covering some part?

I have only just started GKR so nobody would want me as a Sensei just yet.My old style was Shotokan.Is that Brentwood in Essex?

In reference to the makiwara ,well I am as confused as you.So is everybody else who's read the description.I am trying to get a diagram of this device and will post details if and when the diagram arrives.You have to be careful using a conventional makiwara as it can cause lasting damage to the hands.There's no need to harden the hands like hammers as the areas hit are soft,like the chest,stomach or an open handed slap to the face.I know when Koykushinkia Master Mas Oyama died his hands were so painful that he couldn't bear the blankets to touch them.Who would wish to end up like this?

err.. not me for sure

Is this makiwara board what you meant?

Thats a conventional makiwara board.I wouldn't advise using one of these because they can cause problems with knucle enlargement.I used one for 5 years and got to the state where I had stiff hands when the weather was cold.Thankfully my hands are now back to normal.The heavy bag and strike pads are far safer.An 8th dan with 40 years of martial arts experience told me he will start hardening his hands when its been proven they incease the power of a punch.Hard hands are needed for breaking things but I can't see the point in breaking bricks with your hand when a hammer is available.

how about this board? The pad is made of rubber with canvas covering, should it be safe enough? SO you suggested that it's better to train with punching bag?

This is only my opinion and many people would disagree with me but I feel the conventional makiwara is outdated by modern training methods.Karate should continually evolve and Robert Sullivan has had the insight to remove redundant moves from some kata's and techniques.If karate dosen't evolve it becomes an antique art,nice to look at but of little practical use.The human body is not a plank of wood so better training methods have to be sort.A heavy bag is of more resemblance to the human torso and can be made roughly the same weight and density.Strike pads with a partner are also useful.

If you want to harden your knuckles try doing press-ups on them but remember we are not training to kill the opponent.We should be training with a view point of doing enough to allow us to escape.Often winding the opponent is enough.


Please speak to your Sensei before embarking on a course of hand conditioning.

Knuckles so sore that a mere touch of a blanket would hurt them? Ouchie. I think I'll stick to the punching bag personally.

i'm with willsc on his point.

it seems to me tony that you have been very hipocrytical in your posts.

This training was done outside the dojo between two consenting adults.He was fully aware that the technique might hurt but insisted I went ahead.I allowed him to hit me in return.Some times the only way to find out if techniques are effective is to take the blows.Commonsense has to be used in the amount of power that is used.

so punching bag is the way to go? Been saving for that, but not sure whether to get one or not, and still confused where to attach

You usually attach a punching bag suspended from a hook attached to the ceiling of the room you want it in. Most people I know have them in their garages. B)

what! there is room in your garage what about all my old books, magazines, boxes, bikes, guinea pig cages my poor car has never seen the inside of it - but then I could not care less about the box with wheels thing so maybe a sort out is in order :thumbwink: though im sure the practicalities of setting up a bag from a joist will be beyond me

My garage ceiling is not cement, it's like thin wooden board, triplex?

That just means it'll be easier to hammer a hook into the ceiling. Who knows if it'll hold up the bag though.

One lunge punch, and *BANG* there goes my garage ceiling. But at least it proves something

I have a steel beam for the vergola at the back, will I be able to attach the bag there? Or I'll need to drill the beam and get a large hook?

What is the ideal weight for punching bag? Dun want one that's too light, there's chance it may attack me back if I do a strong kick.

What does it prove? That your punches are strong enough to bring down your house?

You'd probably have to drill a hook into it, cuz most bags have a loop of metal at the top to hang off a hook.

Most bags I've seen in sports stores have been only size a or size b, and both are pretty heavy anyway.

It's a good idea to attach a swivell to the shackle to enable the bag to turn then you don't wear it out hitting it in the same spot all the time. Another idea is attach a large plastic container full of sand to the bottom of the bag with a swivell but don't have the full weight of the container pulling on the bag just have it sitting on the ground with a little tension. Now you can kick & punch all you like without it swinging around all over the place and you don't need anyone to hold it steady, you can add a little more weight by adding water to the sand. :thumbwink:

Lol I am not proving anything, my course makes my mind not to prove anything, only support. ButIf it proves my punch is strong, it can also prove that my ceiling is very fragile? :thumbwink: It's made of quite thin cardboard.