SPEED – POWER – BALANCE – FOCUS
– CONTROL
The five principles of WTA karate listed above are presented almost as a
mystery school proverb for they are presented in this particular order every
time and yet they must be learned in the reverse order. You will note that there
are five principles with balance being the center point. This too is significant
in that speed and power are balanced by focus and control. So what does each of
these principles mean and what do we do to learn them:
Control – This is the first principle. You must
learn how to control your body, your mind, your emotions while doing a martial
art. You learn to control the body by repetition. Start slowly, learn the proper
technique. Feel your body move. Experiment with weight shifting, hip and
shoulder carriage movements to achieve the best feel for each technique.
Practice striking at an object and stopping yourself from hitting it. Over time
close the distance to where you are just barely brushing it. Practice with all
hand and foot techniques and on both sides.
Focus – A lot of people have problems with this
one. You’re trying to watch what the instructor is doing and keep an eye on the
students around you. Practice in bits first and then expand. Watch your
instructor do a few movements and then mimic those movements with complete
concentration on your imaginary adversary. In your mind see where his various
body parts are and how they would move with each of your techniques. In a sense
you are dancing with this imaginary partner. Make it flow.
Balance – As you practice your forms and techniques
pay attention to your body. Feel when and where you go off balance. Repeat that
part separately experimenting with different foot positions of centering your
mass in a different aspect with relation to you feet. The martial center of the
body is just below and about 4 inches in from the belly button. Your center of
gravity and your energy engine resides here. Breathe into it. Drive it down to
the ground with each movement that requires anchoring. Pull it up when you need
air time. Throw it at your opponent when you strike, and then quickly recover
it. Think of a plumb line hanging from this point down and feel where it needs
to be to center up your weight in relation to your feet. If you feet are allowed
to move then do so, if not, let the body be repositioned to center the balance
point. Old school karate teachers would come up behind their student while they
were performing kata and push on them to check there balance. A few schools
still do this but most don’t. I believe it is a sound practice and should be
used.
Power – When you have achieved good, solid
technique it is time to start adding more power. It is difficult to describe
this process but you must relax and breathe into the beginning of the technique
and then increase your speed as you flow you body motion behind the weapon and
just before striking tense up the weapon to the opponent from the floor
up.
Speed - Of all the principles this last one, speed,
is the least to worry about. If you practice all the other principles in correct
order and proportion speed will come naturally. Too many times do I see students
attempting to do a form at a speed that is way above their level and all the
other principles break down when this occurs and the end result is a form that
looks like a break dance practice session.
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