On Kamae

 It’s often interesting to find a discussion that is in line with my current research.

I mostly like the non-verbal answers, preferring to show how I see Kamae in use, but as we’re only on the net perhaps my answers will give some scale.

 

Originally I was taught kamae non-verbally. Pause points in kata execution. I came to see them as if I was Clint Eastwood saying “Well Punk, are you going to make my day!” Perhaps it would make a nice movie but I doubt it is the best tactical answer against sudden attack, then again in reality anything may happen.

 

 

I.                  Kamae as a stop hit

 

A few years ago I had my students start attacking me and began to form my kamae inside of their attacks as their body was moving into my sphere of defense. That they were unhappy running into my kamae with their face, or body or biceps insertion/tendon gave me a clue that this had potential.

 

All answers are variable, but I’ve come to find a true logic in forming a kamae in the middle of someone’s attack. In the usage I’m discussing you are using it for a stop hit where the opponent is running into your formation of kamae.

 

An aikido equivalent is when someone rushing in you flow your nukite into their adam’s apple, not striking them there, but forming a point that they impale themselves on and watch how quickly they throw themselves away.

 

So this forms, perhaps a non-conventional use of kamae, but one with effect. It certainly gave me pause to consider how those points can be used.

 

Of course they can just be blocks that are used for following techniques from the opening they create too.

 

BTW you have to find faith in the result not to turn into something else.

 

 

 

2. Kamae use from the past

 

         

This one use led to a rather startling historical document, especially as a New Hapmshire native not reading one kanjin of Japanese, but the fact I finally took the time to seriously investigate a portion of Nakasone’s 1938 “Karatedo Taiken”.

 

It’s so easy to take any karate text, see a drawing of a block and dismiss the rest because you know how to block. I was doing some research into Isshinryu self defense and I remembered that the “Kartedo Taiken” I’ve had for 10 years might have some bearing on the topic.

 

 The drawings on pages 103 to 152 on the surface look like block with the lead hand and then strike with it. That is functional, but it disrupts the flow into the attack as I practice.

 

Instead if you simply lift your lead hand into the block/kamae the attacking limb slides into it, doesn’t register impact and continues and in turn is wedged away from the centerline. The inward lead step and attack are a natural outgrowth.

 

In fact what I’m describing is a simplistic view, you can just use the ‘kamae’ as the opening touch deflection as the lead hand drives into the strike.

 

Of course I don’t know if the surrounding text came from the book supports this example, but if it works, good for the time being.

 

It even builds more on the use of kamae into the random attack. Instead of trying to block and fight, you counter-attack with a motion that is both a block/deflection as well as a lead hand strike.

 

In fact this category is a variation on the principle the act of striking can be used as a block itself, perhaps refined a little differently.