October 7th 2012

From Sensei Lorenzo AguonUeshiro Hawaii Karate Dojo


Atemi-Waza (Breaking Technique)

SHORIN-RYU Okinawan Karate Question and Answer Book (Red Book) Page 78

Under our Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate U.S.A. Belt System, when a student tests for Green Belt (Yon-Kyu), the general summary of test requirements include the third kata plus basic fighting skills plus simple breaking techniques.

Some key points to remember when first introduced to "Atemi-Waza" are:

1. Focus on breaking through your target. A common mistake is stopping the technique at the point of impact. This can lead to an improper break resulting in injury of the hand or simply not having a successful break. During the 50th anniversary celebration, Hanshi reminded those doing breaks to finish through their bricks almost touching the floor below.

2. Accelerate through your target. A common mistake is a lack of speed or not giving 100% to break through a brick/board. When asked to punch through a piece of paper or a piece of wood, one should treat both the same. In a life or death situation, we accelerate through our opponent with a finishing strike. Strike Fast!

Below is a link to videos of simple board breaks. The files are in the Windows Movie File format (.wmv)
You will see simple breaking techniques using Kentsui-uchi (hammerfist), Chudan-zuki (ChestPunch), and two variations of the Shuto (knife-hand) strike.

As noted by Hanshi, when a Green Belt first attempts a break, we ask the students to use the "SHUTO" hand for breaking. This can be seen in the "Shuto Break 02" video clip.

http://uhkdojo.com/10.html


Domo Arigato and Aloha,
Sensei Lorenzo Aguon
Ueshiro Hawaii Karate Dojo