The Kumite Paradigm

My response to Rich Ruberto about sparring. 

Rich I believe remarked how nobody uses kata technique in sport karate. I’d like to expand that to read how almost nobody uses traditional training (or classical training) in sport karate. With perhaps the operating word being almost.

If I use Joe Swift’s quick definitions of Classical, Traditional and Modern for Karate.. 

Classical being pre-1900, pre any large group classes. 

Traditional being post-1900, with the development of group classes.

Modern being post 1950 or so, including the tailored day glow green gi’s too.

Sport Karate is really an outgrowth of the Traditional Period (mostly from Japan).  Mutsu Mizuho’s (a student of Funakoshi Ginchin originally) 1933 book ‘Toudi Kempo’ extensively details (to quote Joe again) ‘Tokyo Imperial University-Style Competitive Matches, including rules of the game, and rules and strategies of engagement.  (Again, drawing on Joe’s description of the book’s chapters.) My studies seem to indicate lack of application practice (Bunkai), and perhaps a desire to imitate Judo’s competitive matches underlay such development in Japan.

Not being terribly familiar with Japanese sparring practices, essentially what developed in the USA for Sport Karate, involved focusing on several hand strikes (back fist, reverse punch, ridge hand) and several kicking techniques (front, side, spinning back, roundhouse and hook kicks). And as the individuals were sparring for points, with the action stopping when the judges called a technique, specialization in a very few techniques actually became a plus for many players. This development of ‘tag’ karate bore almost no relation to kata technique and most traditional kihon.

On the other hand, having spent 10 years training with Tris Sutrisno of Hazleton Pa, his family Shotokan practice were extremely effective against tournament free sparring.  His technique was to utilize the actual Shotokan training practices handed down by his father, and most often simply overwhelmed whoever he faced, throwing and countering with techniques and combinations their tournament skills couldn’t handle.

At Dan training his family uses a very complex series of two person sparring drills, that with time enable any attack to be met with traditional responses. Likewise at about 3rd Dan they change their technique execution (but not for kata practice), so in their drills they stop chambering and explode into strikes, blocks, etc., by hitting the correct body alignment on the end of the technique.

Very simply put, somebody trying to dance in with a backfist might be countered with an explosive high block, then reverse strike, and following with whichever chain of techniques he chooses, until he cuts through the opponent's defense.  As his family system is a blend of older style Shotokan, Older style Usheiba Aikido and Indonesian Tjimande (in their advanced training), I can’t fully say where these practices originated.

But they most certainly do develop one capability. They never use kumite in class, either.

So, there is a small percent of people who can use their ‘traditional’ training in kumite.