Old-School Karate Defensive Principles Part 1

iainabernethy.... This series of videos looks at old-school defensive methods; both as shown by Choki Motobu and as we find in the traditional kata. A new episode will go live each week until the series is completed.
This set of videos first appeared in the iain abernethy app (available from Google Play and the Apple App Store). If you are serious about pragmatic karate, then the hundreds of hours of instructional information in the app provides an in-depth and ever-growing resource (the app is updated with new material each week):
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NOTE: This footage was filmed outdoors, so there is some wind noise at times. However, the content is still clear.
When discussing defensive methods, we need to appreciate the following:
1) At close-range, action will normally beat reaction. Therefore, the efficacy of all defensive methods is limited within the context of close-range civilian conflict (as opposed to consensual fighting). However, that does not mean defensive methods should not be practised. They are still needed if we have lost the initiative, but they should not be practised or presented as a primary method.
2) Much of modern karate has “blocks” practised solely as a means to stop an attack from landing. Conversely, the defensive methods of old-school karate seek, not only to stop an attack, but also to regain the initiative and limit the enemy’s ability to launch further attacks. “The true blocks of karate make it [difficult] for the enemy to launch a second attack.” - Choki Motobu.
3) The defensive methods of old-school karate do not rely solely on the ability to visually recognise a specific attack and then enact a specific response. They are made up of generic “default” actions that protect a target and support the regaining of the initiative, and methods that utilise a tactical feel (via proprioception) to more quickly identify the enemy’s action.
The series will need to be watched in full to appreciate the above.
I hope that you enjoy this series. As mentioned above, if you do like it, and want to see more, then please check out the iain abernethy app for well over one-thousand hours of in-depth instruction on a whole load of practical karate topics.
All the best,
Iain
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