When is it too much power in technique execution?

 

Tom Warsinske           I am seeing a lot kata performed with in my opinion too much unnecessary tension which does not equate to increased power. I believe that most of the time you should be very relaxed doing a kata and only tightening at the attack points. What are other opinions about this?

 

 

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Victor Donald Smith Too often modern tournament execution playing to the crowd so to speak, sets aside the earlier exection where techniques were meant to drop an opponent. The way I was trained only on impact should the muscles tighten then immiedately relax afterwards. Not that some kata are using dynamic tension for training, not so much as in execution. For example afte 30 years I only practice Sanchin at full speed and no dynamic tension, but that is another story.

 

Shihan Dean Chapman I still do Sanchin full power (not exclusively). I think there are many reasons for tension (chin) in forms. The reasons for tension progress with your development. First it is coordinating breath with strengthening connective tissue.

 

Victor Donald Smith The only reason I changed my Sanchin first goes back to my t'ai chi which I have practiced since 1979. That made me aware of very different movement flow. 20 years later I learned the Uechi sanchin and felt so incredibly different energy in the form. Then another decade or so before I decided to switch for myself.

 

I perform Sanchin fast, no tension and regular breathing. The real reason for the change I started using sanchin to tear into every sort of attack I could think of, and to end that attack with Sanchin.

 

Today greatly diminished, I still can do my Sanchin daily, Never am I unarmed.

Bottom of Form 1

 

Shihan Dean Chapman Victor Donald Smith I do Tai Chi as well. The Sanchin feelings I have today are much different than 20 or 30 years ago. I do Sanchin (medium tension) before my morning Chi Kung and TC. I think many Gojuka and others only focus on the beginning mind of Sanchin. So the idea of "Softness within the Hardness" is never realized.

 

Victor Donald Smith Shihan Dean Chapman I understand what you are saying. For myself I could not mix t'ai chi and karate. I could practice t'ai chi before karate. But could not practice t'ai chi after karate. Then when I taught a private small t'ai chi program for many years on my driveway, for a very long time if I tried working karate applications with them (they were all black belts) after t'ai chi class, I would hurt them unintentionally. So they requested I not mix karate after t'ai chi or t'ai chi after karate. Eventually I reached the point where I could go back and forth. But that is another story.