In real life it can result in being easily tackled to the ground. But what of the offensive perspective? Running works in the dojo because opponents follow rules. If you are running away, from where can you launch a telling counter strike? Contrarily, if you use footwork you will always have a low centre of gravity and be in stance, implying not only can you avoid attacks in small areas, you can execute a powerful counter strike the moment the opportunity arises. » Martial artists from grappling styles often use the argument, “Most fights end up on the ground.” Probably true, but how many fights entail a person who understands the importance of stance and centre of gravity? Beyond this, a martial artist should be ready at all times during combat.
As running raises your centre of gravity and takes you out of stance, in a limited area you will find yourself in a vulnerable position – an easy target for a strike or tackle. » Considering kumite should train us for real life self-defence, it’s not enough to say, “It works fine in my dojo.” In real life, you may have limited space (like your kitchen, a car park or pub etc). Firstly, because we have ample room to move and secondly, because our opponent is abiding by the rules of kumite. From a defensive point of view, when we run away to avoid attack we raise our centre of gravity. Hopefully once you grasp any number of these, you will embark on some Ashi Sabaki training for your kumite. It seemed so logical, just do the very thing that has served you all your life…run! Running Versus Ashi Sabaki There are countless downsides to running. Somehow we needed to get ‘over there’ to attack, or somehow we had to get away to avoid their attack. We were standing in our spot and our opponent was standing in theirs, some feet away. And then we stumbled across another activity – kumite. And regardless of the activity, we never needed to change our movement, the simple act of running served us perfectly each and every time. We chased after our friends when playing tip, ran away from waves at the beach, ran to catch the school bus, we dodged, we tackled and played numerous sports. Why Ashi Sabaki Eludes Most Karate-ka If footwork is so important, why is it so underdeveloped, even amongst high grades? We’ve been moving around since infancy. And if it lets you down in the dojo (and in a tournament), then it is likely to let you down in real life. So if this is the case, why then in kumite will one person score eight times out of ten and another score once in ten? The answer is very simple, footwork! Despite its paramount importance, it is still the single biggest thorn in the side of most karate-ka. The Test If you were to randomly pick 100 students of all ages and grades, then run through the ‘Basics’ with them, the difference (in terms of speed) between the fastest and slowest punch would be a millisecond.
It’s a karate-ka’s greatest weapon or most costly liability. There’s no denying, footwork plays a monumental role in any sport – including karate! When it comes to kumite, footwork (Ashi Sabaki) is everything.
In tennis, it can be the difference between hitting the ball into the corner for a clear winner or have it sail over the baseline. In soccer, footwork can be the difference between putting the ball in the top corner of the net or a mile over the bar.