The proper use of karate?

 

From the time when I began I have learned a great deal about what it was like on Okinawa, over the years.

 

Back when I began perhaps I thought armed Samarui were patrolling Okinawa and it worked out to me the best use for karate was to appear you did not know anything, then attack from behind when that Samurai was not expecting it.

 

Of course now I recognize that was nothing but a fantasy I created, but fantasy or not, there was a kernel of truth.

 

If having identified a foe where use of karate is required, the safest angle of defense is to attack them from behind.

 

Of course that is not always possible, then other considerations have to come into play.

 

But if you can appear to move below their event horizon of awareness, such as appearing harmless, or you have acquired skills of movement to allow you to move past them permitting entry from behind, then you have more options.

 

Many attacks occur when the attacker is on automatic, believing they know where you are and focus the attack on where they ‘know’ you are, but their awareness is focused on their  attack and not where you actually are.

 

Something as simple as shifting back from your original position, or shifting off on interior or exterior angles from that attack remove you from where they are intending to focus their attack. It is also possible to employ various methods of stepping past and around the attack to place yourself other where from the intented focus of the attack, either away from the attacker, or better still directly behind the attacker. This is when their focus toward where they ‘know’ you are, causes you not to be there, disappearing from their focus.

 

Here training kicks in to be able to read the intent of your attacker, to look at if they are truly looking at you or assuming you are where you are. Then more training to learn how to move into the appropriate respone.

 

There is on one size fits all situations. Your training needs to be in depth on the subtle avalialbe answers you can choose. But what you don’t training means many options you have not prepared for are not going to be available.