July 14th, 2013

From Emiliano Mazlen Yon-Dan, Shihan, Boston Chinatown Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate Club

Throw the Techniques

Onegai-shimasu Hanshi, Kyoshi, Sensei, Shihan and Fellow Deshi,

Our techniques are thrown and not pushed into place. As more fully and correctly expressed in Hanshi’s
Thought for the Week of October 28, 2001, there is no tension before starting the technique or during the technique’s flight.
We only engage the muscles necessary to speed the technique to its target and after that we let it fly until contact,
when we hit with full tension. Thus, we do not want to raise the shoulder or “muscle up” on the punch, for example.
Such tension decreases speed and therefore power.

All of this is equally true in Naihanchi. Naihanchi only differs from our other kata in regards to tension
in that we hold the 100% tension until the next count. Once the next count is given the tension is dropped,
so that in Naihanchi, too, our techniques are thrown, not pushed.

Domo arigato gozaimasu to all.

Emiliano Mazlen

Yon-Dan

Shihan, Boston Chinatown Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate Club