First, I want to wish everyone a Happy and safe Memorial Day weekend. Give thanks to those that paid the ultimate sacrifice and those that we’re lucky to have come back safe to tell us of the heroism of one and all.
I want to pick up where I left off on my previous bulletin dated March/April. I claimed that in martial arts, you use only two distinct moves.
The Linear motion and the Arc. Specifically, the UAL. “Uniformly Accelerated Linear Motion.”
I hope most of you have tried to execute the forward punch as I asked you to do. Once you have done this and feel comfortable in the motion, I will be adding the rest of the moves that will complete the punching process.
I want to reiterate the definition of the word rotates. I will be using this term since most instructors use it to define the motion they make, when in fact, it is an arc.
Rotate: To complete a cycle. An arc is an incomplete cycle.
The earth rotates on its axis, completing 360 degrees. This translates into one day/24 hours. When an outside force stops rotation, it then becomes an arc. I will use Arc/Rotation only for simplicity’s sake.
“The forward punch”
Standing with your Left/right leg to the rear. Hand to your side palm side up. Note: I have seen the FP punch done two ways. Some step straight forward with their leg while others move the leg in an arc going forward. Which is correct? I will pick one and use the other for another day.
Keeping in mind using the arm movement I described in my previous bulletin. Step forward with your rear leg following the UAL movement of the arm. The foot should land just a fraction of a second before the arc/rotation of the fist, followed by your hips and shoulder rotation just as you go back to the UAL, and last but not least, you should exhale.
All movements should be done in the correct sequence. Do not forget breathing. You should breathe out at the exact moment of contact. Many martial artists do not breathe properly.
The sequence is crucial here. You must feel each move as you move forward and understand what comes first, second, third, etc. The timing between the sequence is also crucial.
Relax, breathe, go slow, feel each move, and then explode. This may sound easy, but this will be the hardest thing to accomplish. If you learn this one technique well, all of your other techniques will become easier. Through constant practice, all your moves will become second nature once you understand the process.
Anyone who disagrees with my process I laid out here, I would love to hear your take on it. I am not a Karate Master; I don’t know all that there is but will continue to learn by being a student first, a teacher second who will never become complacent.
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An teacher should be critical in his instruction. Limiting it only by the student’s capability.
Kaicho, Roy D. Davis III
NKJU ® National Karate Jiu-Jitsu Union and National Karate jiu-jitsu Union Int. 2691 Worth County Line Road Albany, Georgia 31705 davisroyiv3@gmail.com
May 2021 NKJU® Bulletin
NKJU ® & NKJUI® is a USPTO registered trademark owned by Roy D. Davis III. Any use of this name by any person, organization, company, or association with the marketing or sale of any products and services without the owner’s permission violates the US Trade Mark Act.
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