Karate as a ground art
Over the last 15 years, I have studied Chito Ryu karate. Most people think of karate as a stand-up art. This means that it works best when we are on our feet. Most people agree those who study karate have some of the strongest strikes. We see this through demonstrations and the exercises we do to strengthen the bones for striking. These things may be true. What most people are missing is that karate can be anything we train ourselves for it to be.
By definition, karate means empty-hand fighting. We can be on the ground with our karate. We can be sitting with our karate.
After spending months getting students to the point that they understand what karate is, I shocked them and had them sit in the Sieza pose. Then I asked them if they could defend themselves from this position. Most of the students looked at me like I was crazy. A couple of students started realizing that they could block and several realized we could kick from sitting. The hardest part is to erase the mentality that karate is one thing or another.
I had the students learn to fall down, similar to what one might see in jiujitsu or police defensive tactics. Once face down in a push-up position, I had them scramble to get in a position to protect themselves. We had done drills where students learned to get around to their back and get their legs up and in between them and an attacker. We learned how to move, but we had never put it all together.
The ultimate goal of karate is to put all the skills together for practical use. Karate is about thinking, applying, and building ourselves every day. We don’t want robots who punch or block in a horse stance.
In a physical altercation, you will get knocked down. In the world we live in you need to get back to your feet safely so you can see other attackers coming. There are endless ways that using groundwork can be applied to karate, it is up to the student to practice and unlock them. It is up to us as instructors to create and design plans that help students realize that they are not limited. This is similar to the hidden strikes and wrist locks in karate that most people don’t see.
Challenge your students to create and demonstrate. Our students are required at the green belt level to explain in written form how karate can be used as a ground art for protection. This is part of the green belt test.
Michael Rodgers
RYT 500, 1st-degree dan Chito Ryu karate, NFPT Master Trainer
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