FISHER SHOTOKAN KARATE

TURN REVIEW

By Sensei Malcolm Fisher

During turns there are multiple things happening simultaneously during the transition from the unloaded state to a loaded one.

At the start of Heian Shodan turns #2, #3 and #4, since they occur from a stance where the legs are at a greater than shoulder width distance from each other, the hip generates the majority of the energy for the turns. The degree of energy generation of the hip has a direct correlation to the distance that the feet are from each other at the start of a turn. The closer they are to each other, the greater the percentage of energy is created by the hip.

Remember that, all turns are backwards and that when moving backwards all backwards movements are initiated from the hips, regardless whether turns are made or not.

So, all turns are initiated from the hip. Now during the initiation from the hips, the inside of the foot of the loaded leg is pulled upwards slightly and into the direction of the turn and pivots around the heel, by the pulling of the spine closer to the turning axis with the inside and back muscles of the loaded leg. Note that the rotation of the foot of the loaded leg has a direct correlation to the rotation of the hips and turn together in sync and at the same time. Arriving at the mid-point, fully loaded position together.

The spine should reach its closest position to the turning axis before the first 1/4 of the turn is reached. The sooner this accomplished the greater the centrifugal force generated. I spoke of changes that the Fisher One Page will have on all kata techniques. One of them is that, at the critical instant, the moment the delivery of energy has taken place, there will be a slight reloading of the unloaded leg in preparation for the next movement in kata or, to put oneself into a readiness state at a 50-50 weight distribution on the legs.

Since kumite is kata and kata is kumite and maximum energy is the root definition of karate-doh, what happens immediately following the delivery of energy to the target, must be the same. And in kumite, one's unloaded leg must never remain in an unloaded state for more than an instant. It is either reloaded for the next technique, is pulled forward by unloading of the loaded leg or, it goes into a state of readiness with weight distribution on the legs at 50-50. Remember, that in either kata or kumite, the next technique is unknown, to be otherwise is to become a dance.

Regarding the disposition of the feet at the start of a turn. Well, your heels always remain on the ground. Your ball of your foot always remains relaxed. To do otherwise would cause your ankle to lock and weight would come off the heel and the heel would surely loose contact with the ground.

Regarding the unloaded leg, during the turn and as the hip turns into it, it is pulled along by the hips. Since the hips are making a much smaller turn than the unloaded leg, an ever increasing, great deal of momentum is created in the unloaded leg and this momentum continues, without pause, toward the target after the hips have reached the fully loaded position.

Managing all of the forces generated during a turn and focusing their total energy at the critical instant is what the study of Karate-doh is really all about. And what the Fisher One-Page adds to it is, the ability to greatly increase the energy output and to come to understand in minute detail karate technique. This greater understanding of karate technique fulfills the prophecy of Nakayama Sensei, when he told me that Karate would get better in the future with a better understanding of sport science and would be left for the next generation.

I have distilled all that I have seen and experienced during my 5 years in Japan, looking for common denominators that made the old JKA instructors great. Many of them had talents which were unique to them and not necessarily shared with others. I felt that all of these unique talents should be thoroughly understood and taught to all karate practitioners, as a way to increase the knowledge base of Karate-doh as a whole. Thus making students into better teachers and thus, making future students better.

This web page last updated January 23, 2011.