Category Archives: kihon

Soto Uke (Outside Forearm Block) – Part 2 Stepping Forward

Before trying to step forward in zenkutsu dachi (front stance), be sure and understand the basic elements of the karate front stance and they are, weight distribution, length, width and height.

We are not going to cover front stance in this article, only stepping forward soto uke.

Starting with the left leg in front and the arms in the gedanbarai (downward block) position.

The first three points we cover in this article, should be performed at exactly the same time.

1. Stretch the left arm forward, so the hand is directly in front of the left shoulder. The left hand can be open, or closed into a fist, with the back of the hand facing up. If the hand is open, stretch the fingers forward, keeping the wrist straight.

2. Lift the right arm up and place behind the head on the right side of the body, without being to uncomfortable. The right elbow should be level or higher than the right shoulder, keep the palm of the right fist facing away to the right of the body. The forearm should be vertical with the right fist above the right elbow.

3. Initiate the step by driving the left knee forward, the feeling should be as if someone is pulling you forward by your left arm. Pull and push the right leg sharply forward, at the same time, there should be a strong feeling on the right side of the body, really try and push the right side of the body and leg forward.

Try and keep the same height throughout the step. As you step forward with the right leg, at the half way point, bring the knees slightly inwards, keeping the feet travelling in a straight line, so as the body travels straight forward and not in, then out.

4. From the half way point, the left leg drives the whole body forward. Drive from the floor with the left leg, continue driving the right side of the body forward, but keep the arm positions.

5. At the three quarter point, the arms start to move. Throw the right blocking arm around and forward, at the same time, strongly pull the left hikite (pulling arm) back.

6. Remember! As you step forward, you are also to a lesser degree, driving the left side of the body forward. Just before you land in zenkutsu dachi, continue driving the right side of the body to the front, but sharply pull the left side of the body and hip back.

7. Just as you land, finish the right arm block, complete the left hikite arm and the left and right side of the body should finish in the hanmi (side facing) position, with the head facing forward.

We covered the correct arm positions in the first article of this series, ‘Soto Uke (outside Forearm Block) Part 1′.

Soto uke stepping Top Tips

-Keep the whole movement smooth, start slowly and gradually work up to maximum speed.
-Keep the body relaxed throughout the step.
-Breathe in on the preparation and sharply out on the execution of the block.
-Hide your breathing.
-Make sure you step in a straight line.

There are different versions of this karate technique, so check with your karate sensei, before practicing. Soto uke (outside forearm block) is one of the first karate moves practiced, when someone first attends karate classes. There are advanced versions of this block, but described here is the basic version, that is practiced in many shotokan karate dojo.

Follow this link for Part 1 of soto uke Outside Forearm Block

The link above has the videos for this karate technique.

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Shuto Uke Part 2 The Step

Stepping forward Knife Hand Block

In the first article we described the arm positions for shuto uke. In this article we are going to explain stepping forward shuto uke (knife hand block) in kokutsu dachi (back stance).

Although this is classed as a basic karate technique, most people find this difficult and uncomfortable. So we are going to break this step down, into small sections.

Get into the habit of breaking new karate moves down, they then become much easier to understand the small detail.

Starting with the left leg in front.

1. Start the step by driving the front (left) knee forward. Imagine someone has a hold of your left wrist and they sharply pull you forward, so really stretch the left arm forward, hand open, fingers and wrist straight.

2. At the same time as you perform number 1. Lift the right arm straight up from the stomach to the left shoulder. Keep the forearm close to the body as you lift the arm and keep the elbow in the center of the chest. When the right hand reaches the left shoulder (palm facing the neck), the hand is open, fingers and wrist straight.

3. The front knee and two arm movements above, should be done at exactly the same time. As the above moves are executed, immediately start to step with the right leg, pushing the right side of the body forward.

4. Keep the same height throughout the step, knees come close together at the half way point, body square and both feet facing forward.

5. As you start the second half of the step, from the half way point, keep your body weight over your back (left) leg.

6. Still keep both feet facing forward as you move through the here quarter stage of the step. At this point, start to block with the right arm and pull the left hikite arm back.

7. As the hikite arm pulls back, keep the palm facing down and as the blocking arm goes out, keep the palm facing towards you and the elbow down. The back of the blocking forearm, slides down the inside of the hikite arm.

8. As you land in the full kokutsu dachi (back stance), sharply pivot on the left (back) foot, turning your left foot and knee out to the side.

9. As you complete the arm movements, rotate both forearms sharply, so the palm of the hikite (left) arm, faces up and the palm of the blocking arm, faces to the inside and down slightly.

10. Both numbers 8 and 9, should be performed at exactly the same time.

11. Breath in on the preparation and out on the execution of the block.

Most karateka start practicing this particular karate technique, a few moths into their karate training. Of all the basic karate moves, this is one of the hardest to master. Whether you are attending a karate dojo, or learning karate at home, I recommend you break the techniques down and repeat again and again. Start slowly and gradually build up to maximum speed.

We covered the basic arm positions for shuto uke in the first article at Shuto Uke Kokutsu Dachi (Knife Hand Block Back Stance) Part 1

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Uchi Uke

Inside Forearm Block

Uchi uke, or inside forearm block is one of the first karate moves practiced in the karate dojo. Karate classes will first practice this karate technique in shizentai (natural stance), which is what we will cover in this article. This block will then be practiced stepping backwards and forwards.

This article will cover uchi uke in shizentai (natural stance), toes facing forward and feet approximately shoulder width apart

1. The left uchi uke blocking arms elbow is roughly a fist, to a fist and a halfs distance from the body.

2. A 90 degree bend at the blocking (left) arms elbow.

3. The fist of the blocking arm is at shoulder height, with the palm of the left fist, facing towards you, shoulders should be down and relaxed.

4. The right hikite arm, should be placed at the bottom of the ribs on the right side of the body. The palm of the fist should be facing up, with the elbow pulling down slightly, both shoulders down and relaxed. Try not to let the elbow stick out to the side, keep the elbow directly behind the fist, in a straight line.

5. Sharply extend the left arm forward, so the back of the fist is pointing up. The left fist can be open or closed, if open, be sure to stretch the fingers forward.

6. At exactly the same time you stretch the left arm forward, the right arm should come across the stomach to the top of the left hip, back of the hand facing up. Keep the right arm as close to the body as possible, throughout this movement.

7. The right blocking arm should now go out and forward, from inside the body to outside, try not to swing the right arm past the right side of the body. The blocking arm should travel around and forward! The finished arm position should be level with the side of the body, fist shoulder height and back of the fist facing away from you. The blocking part of the arm, is the back of the forearm.

8. As you execute number 7, pull the left hikite (pulling arm) strongly back. Pull the arm straight back. Be sure to keep the elbow on line with the side of the body. To make sure the elbow and fist come back in a straight line, as soon as you start the pull back, rotate the left hikite arm clockwise, so the bottom of the fist faces down. As the hikite arm reaches the side of the body, finish the rotation strongly, by rotating the forearm, so the fist finishes palm up, elbow pulling down slightly and with both shoulders square and relaxed.

Uchi Uke Top Tips

Think of the block as a strike! Imagine there is a striking pad at the finishing point of the blocking arm. Strike with an uraken (back fist) strike.

The blocking arm should travel in more of a straight line, from hip to completion and not a sweeping arc.

In the finished blocking position, make sure you can tighten all of your arm muscles properly, if you cannot, your blocking arm will be to high, to far forward, or to far to the side.

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Soto Uke – Outside Forearm Block

Outside Forearm Block

Learning Karate – Soto Uke (Outside Forearm Block) Part 1

Soto uke, or outside forearm block is one of the basic karate moves, in the karate dojo. A tricky move to begin with because it contains both linear and circular arm movements, this karate technique should be first practiced in shizentai (natural stance), with feet approximately shoulder width apart and toes facing forward.

1. The left blocking arms elbow is approximately a fist, to a fist and a half distance from the body. There should be a 90 degree bend at the blocking arms elbow. The fist of the blocking arm is approximately shoulder height, shoulders down and relaxed, with the palm of the left fist, facing towards you.

2. The right hikite arm, should be placed at the bottom of the ribs on the right side of the body. The fist should be palm up, with the elbow pulling down slightly, both shoulders down and relaxed. Try not to let the elbow stick out, keep the elbow directly behind the fist.

3. Extend the left forward, so the back of the fist is pointing up, arm straight and fist directly in front of the left shoulder. This can also be done with the hand open and fingers stretching forward.

4. At the same time the left arm stretches forward, lift the right elbow straight up from the hikite position, as the elbow reaches shoulder height, lift the right forearm and fist, so as the fist is directly above the elbow, with the palm of the fist facing out to the right, now take the elbow as far behind you can, without feeling uncomfortable. In this position, the elbow should be at least shoulder height.

5. Now bring the blocking arm down and across to the center of the body, the elbow takes a straight line from the high position to the finished position. The blocking part of the arm, is the inside of the forearm, so as the blocking gets level with the right side of the body, rotate the forearm strongly, so the finished arm position is the same as explained in number 1.

6. As you perform number 5, pull the left hikite (pulling arm) strongly back. Be sure to keep the elbow on line with the side of the body, as you pull the arm back. To make sure the elbow and fist come back in a straight line, as soon as you start the pull back, rotate the left hikite arm clockwise, so the bottom of the fist faces down. As the hikite arm reaches the side of the body, finish the rotation strongly, by rotating the forearm, so the fist finishes palm up, elbow pulling down slightly and with both shoulders square and relaxed.

Soto Uke Top Tips

When you block, think forward, not around!

The blocking arm should travel in more of a straight line, from the high preparation point, to completion and not a sweeping arc.

Remember, the blocking part of the arm, is the inside of the forearm, not the edge of the arm!

In the finished blocking position, make sure you can tighten all of your arm muscles properly, if you cannot, your blocking arm will be to high, to far forward, or to far across the center of the body.

If you are learning karate at home, take these karate moves a step at a time, start slowly, before building up to full speed.

Soto uke is one of the first karate moves for beginners to practice.

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Shuto Uke Part 1 The Arms

Knife Hand Block

Shuto uke in kokutsu dachi or knife hand block in back stance, is probably one of the most awkward karate techniques, in shotokan karate. Many shotokan karate dojo do not practice this technique until the karateka has been attending karate lessons for several months. Even if you are still attending karate lessons for beginners, the sooner you understand the basic fundamentals of this karate move, the faster you will progress.

In this article we will cover the arm movements associated with shuto uke.

The blocking arm positions for the three shotokan karate basic mid level blocks (soto uke, uchi uke, shuto uke), are almost the identical.

1. The blocking arms elbow is approximately a fist, to a fist and a half distance from the body.

2. There should be a 90 degree bend at the blocking arms elbow.

3. The finger tips of the blocking hand are approximately shoulder height, shoulders down and relaxed.

4. The blocking hand should be at a slight angle, so do not have the palm facing completely down, or the edge of the hand (shuto), facing down. The shuto is somewhere in between. A good gauge is having the back of the bent thumb, on the blocking shuto, facing directly at you, at completion of the block.

5. The hikite (pulling arm), is placed on the stomach, so that the edge of the hand is on the belly button, finger tips approximately level with the forward side of the body. Fingers and wrist straight, whilst keeping the thumb bent and tight. Feel like you are pulling the tip of the thumb, to the the base of the thumb, on the inside of the hand. The whole length of the hikite arm, from elbo to finger tips, should be parallel with the floor.

So now we have the arm positions for shuto uke. Keep practicing the finished arm positions for shuto uke. Feel the muscles working when you kime or tighten the muscles. Practice this on both sides.

In part two of shuto uke, we will cover stepping forward knife hand block in back stance. Always take things slowly at first, especially if you are trying to learn karate at home. Understand every little detail and try and get your karate sensei to check it out, before you speed up.

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Mawashi Geri Round Kick

Mawashi geri, which is more commonly known as ’round house kick’, is an extremely powerful karate technique.

There are many different versions of mawashi geri.

1. Leg coming around parallel with the floor

2. leg starting high, then cutting down.

3. Leg starting low, then rising at an angle.

4. Kicking with the ball of the foot (Koshi), the shin and the instep.

5. Snapping the kick back after impact.

6. Going straight through the target, without snapping back.

When someone can deliver Mawashi geri correctly, it is extremely powerful and hard to block.  But if performed incorrectly, it can be disasterous!

1. From front stance (left leg in front), keeping the left foot still, lift the right knee to the side of the body, with the knee slightly higher than the right kicking foot. Try not to let the knee go past the front of the body and keep the body as upright as possible.

2. Start to pivot the left leg counter clockwise while at the same time, bringing the kicking leg around to the front of the body, while keeping the right leg bent and knee high.

3. When fast, the kick hits the target, the same time as the knee stops in front of the body. But when practicing slowly, it is fine to pivot on the left foot and bring the right knee around to the front of the body.

4. Now extend the kicking leg, parallel with the floor, keep the body as upright as possible and try not to lean to the side. Hit the target with the ball of the foot, shin or instep.

When kicking with mawashi geri, the whole body should play a part, not just the kicking leg. A strong supporting leg is essential, make sure you are hitting with the body and hip, not just the leg.

Obviously, there is a lot more to mawashi geri than just the technique. But first get the basic karate fundamentals correct, then you can start to experiment with different types of round house kick.

There are going to be some great training videos in the karate dojo, for developing the legs for strong kicking.

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