First Page of Research Report
James R. Oberschlake
Hachidan Research Report
ISKF
April 2, 2023
Kime
I recently heard a criticism that sport karate emphasized speed of technique at the expense of developing kime. What was important was to be faster than the opponent, score the point first, and win the match. All this is good, but to be honest, some scoring techniques lack the power necessary to be effective in an actual self-defense situation. For the practitioner of Karate-do, it is important that kime be understood and developed.
Part I
Kime is not only important; it is vital. “The essence of karate techniques is kime. A technique lacking kime can never be regarded as true karate, no matter how great the resemblance to karate.” (M. Nakayama, Best Karate 1 Comprehensive, page 11). Kime is defined as decision or moment of focus; it is a decisive or finishing technique. Kime strongly relates to the expression, ikken hissastu, “to kill with one blow”. If one encounters multiple attackers, it is necessary to dispatch an opponent quickly and completely before the next opponent attacks. Kime gives a technique the power to make this possible.
Power is the product of speed and mass. Greater speed means more power; more weight behind the technique means more power. Kime is generally considered something that occurs at the end of the technique when the striking surface and target make contact. At impact, the muscles contract strongly, locking the body into a single mass. In this way, the entire body weight is multiplied by the speed of the accelerating movement of the technique. This locking of the whole body adds to the power of kime.
Additionally, when the body is locked in a strong stance braced against the earth, “the shock of the blow is passed through the body to the legs and floor and then is reversed back to the punching hand, adding further force to the blow.” (H. Nishiyama, Karate: The Art of “Empty Hand Fighting”, Page 20). In this way, the reaction force of impact adds to the force of impact and creates an even more devastating blow.
The mind is also important to creating kime. At impact the mind must consciously direct energy into the target. The first time I tried to break two boards, I was not successful. Then my instructor told me to punch at a target two inches behind the boards. I changed my concentration and point of focus, and the boards broke easily on the second attempt.
My first instructor, Sensei Greer Golden, showed me a trick he called the unbendable arm. I faced my opponent and placed the back of my open hand on his shoulder. My opponent locked his hands with fingers interlaced on my forearm near the elbow. (To prevent injury my arm was straight but never locked at the elbow joint). My opponent began pressing downward, using the muscles of his upper body to bend my arm. The muscles of one arm were no match for all the muscles of his upper body. Before the second attempt, Sensei Golden placed his hand a few inches from the fingertips of my outstretched arm. He said, “Think about trying to reach and touch my hand. Imagine your arm is an electric cord with electricity shooting through your fingertips. Imagine your arm is a firehose with water rushing through it. Think reach…reach…reach.” On the second attempt my opponent was not able to bend my arm. In fact, it felt effortless, and I was amused to see my opponent grunt and strain as he was unable to bend my arm. When the body muscles lock at impact, concentrate and utilize this reaching tension to direct energy into the target. This reaching tension adds to the power of kime.
The last illustration of using the mind to increase the power of kime comes from a story related by Master Teruyuki Okazaki. When Master Okazaki was young, he secretly borrowed his father’s samurai sword. He wanted to test his skill by cutting through a stalk of green bamboo. His attempts were not successful. He later sought the advice of someone with more skill and experience. Armed with this advice, young Okazaki returned to the green bamboo. He closed his eyes and said three times slowly, “Power comes from Seika Tanden.” When he opened his eyes and swung, the sword passed cleanly through the bamboo. I think this was one of the most important things Master Okazaki wanted to pass on: “Always remember. The moment you execute technique, think power comes from Seika Tanden.”
Part II
“Kime is an explosive attack to the target using appropriate technique and maximum power in the shortest time possible.” (M. Nakayama, Best Karate 1 Comprehensive, page 11). From this definition we see that kime is more than something that occurs at the end of the technique. It also involves the process creating greater speed and proper technique that delivers power to the target with maximum efficiency.
Sensei Greer Golden would often emphasize this process of creating kime. “Always remember, Jimmy. Teach tense, relax, tense. It’s tense, relax, tense, where relaxing is going.” The first “tense” refers to what Sensei Golden called a ready tension. Ready tension is not maximum tension; it is a tensing of the muscles that prepares the body for sudden explosive movement. To illustrate this Sensei would have us crouch on the floor as if we were sprinters in starting blocks getting ready to run a hundred-yard dash. He would count, “On your mark…Set…Go!” The muscle tension we experienced on Set was the ready tension he was teaching. Next, we practiced gyaku zuki with the same ready, set, go process. Each punch was a race that developed explosive starting motion.
To understand the next step, relaxing is going, we must have a basic understanding of how muscles work to create movement. Muscles are elastic; they either contract or relax. In the body, muscles are arranged in corresponding, opposing pairs. The agonist is the muscle that contacts and creates movement; the protagonist is the muscle that relaxes to facilitate movement. For instance, when biceps contract and triceps relax, the arm bends at the elbow joint. When biceps relax and triceps contract, the arm straightens. Contracting both muscles at any point along the range of motion makes the arm strong, stable, and resistant to outside force. Relaxing both makes the arm compliant to outside force.
Imagine two strong men holding a rope. When they are relaxed, there is no movement. If the men engage in a tug of war each pulling with a force of exactly 300 pounds, there is no movement, but there is latent energy. If one man begins pulling with a force of 301 pounds, there will be slow movement. However, if one man suddenly relaxes and releases his grip, there will be explosive movement in the direction opposite he was pulling. This analogy illustrates how muscle tension loads the body with latent energy and how sudden relaxing of antagonist muscles releases this energy to create an explosive starting motion.
Once antagonist muscles relax, the agonist muscles contract as quickly and completely as possible to propel the technique toward the target at maximum speed. Antagonist muscles remain relaxed during movement so that unnecessary tension does not create resistance that would decrease the speed and power of the technique. The technique arm or leg feels relaxed during movement. There should be just enough resistant tension to guide the technique directly to the target. Ideally, the direction of the technique should strike at an angle perpendicular to the target. This angle ensures maximum efficiency and penetration. At impact the muscles of the entire body contract in a reaching tension, and the mind consciously directs sufficient energy into the target that ends the fight with one blow. This is the process and purpose of kime.
Part III
Understanding kime is good, but Karate-do is also about doing and becoming. Developing kime requires effort, persistence, patience, dedication, and discipline. No matter what aspect of karate training you are doing, developing kime should be part of the practice. What follows are some ideas for developing kime:
*Hit something heavy. Makiwara is the traditional and still best method for developing kime. Hitting something heavy trains the nervous system to completely contract the muscles in an instant. It focuses the mind on a target and conditions the body for impact.
*Hit something light. Punch and put out the flame of a lit candle. Punch small holes in a piece of paper. Hit the focus pad. Hitting something light promotes speed and the relaxing of the antagonist muscles. It adds precision, control, and sharpness, and the technique becomes more than a heavy push. I was once told that if you hit an opponent in the face with a normal punch, he will fall backward. But, if you hit him with a punch with kime, his body will jerk and fall forward. It is an interesting thought and worth contemplating.
*Use breathing. When breath is held, the body naturally tenses. When inhaling and exhaling, the body is more relaxed. During the executing of a karate technique, the breathing should mimic the movement: 1). Inhale, relax the shoulders, and feel as if you are drawing energy into the seika tanden. Hold your breath and body in a ready tension. 2). Relax and release the breath and technique in an explosive starting motion. The breath and movement accelerate together as the technique speeds toward the target. 3). At impact, the body tenses particularly in the area near the seika tanden, and the breath naturally stops.
To learn to use breathing to develop kime, kiai at the beginning of the technique. Make the kiai throw the technique. At impact when the body tenses and the breath stops, only the echo of the kiai can be heard.
*In kihon, practice correct form that effectively channels power into the target. Increase range of motion that maximizes the expansion and contraction of the body. Start and end techniques in a strong stance. Maintain good posture and proper alignment of the joints. Learn to load the body with latent energy to create an explosive starting motion.
During body shifting, many karateka merely step and fall into the stance and generate speed only at the very end of the technique. The speed that can be achieved by falling is limited by the force of gravity. Greater speed and power is possible by creating an explosive starting motion and utilizing the reaction force that is generated by pushing into the earth.
To prepare the body for sudden action, sink and bend the joints of the lower body. Assume the proper ready position and squeeze the right and left halves of the body toward the center axis. Shift the center of gravity toward the pivot foot, loading it with latent energy. Press strongly into the pivot foot, quickly and completely contracting the agonist muscles. The resulting reaction force propels the body and technique toward the target at a speed greater than can be achieved by merely yielding to gravity.
*Don’t rush the rhythm of the kata. In the time of Master Funakoshi, it took about one minute to perform a Heian kata. Today, katas are performed in about half the time. At a clinic in Delaware, Ohio, I asked guest instructor, Sensei James Field, why the karateka in Funakoshi’s time took longer to perform a kata. He answered that he thought one reason was that they took the time to completely focus each technique.
In kata there are quick moves, strong moves, slow moves, and pauses. On the pauses, take time to visualize the opponent. On the slow moves, take time to load the body with latent energy. On the quick and strong moves, take time to completely focus each technique. Kata has multiple attackers. Be sure each technique has kime and is sufficient to end the fight.
*Put kime in kumite. In karate we train to survive violent attack against multiple opponents. Kime gives our technique the power to make this possible, and kumite gives us the experience and skill to apply such techniques in an actual self-defense situation. From kumite we learn self-defense skills, timing, distancing, strategy, unwavering concentration, good fighting spirit, confidence, courage, courtesy, self-control, and the ability to access the intentions of others.
In a karate tournament, jiyu kumite is not a display of unbridled violence. It is a contest of highly skilled individuals who can accurately execute devastating techniques on an opponent, and yet can control such techniques so that they stop just short of doing great harm. Kime makes both skills possible. The same complete body tensing at the end of the technique that gives the power to finish the fight is the same body tensing they can stop the technique just short of the target. Kime gives both power and control.
In a tournament there is always eventually a winner. Most all victories are the result of accumulating waza ari. Victory by ippon is rare and memorable. I remember one such ippon technique that occurred when I was a corner judge. The competitor scored with a kizami zuki jodan. The opponent’s legs gave out, and he went down to his knees. During the judge’s conference the doctor found no injury, and it was determined no excessive contact had been made. The technique itself was so decisive and devastating that the opponent’s fighting spirit was broken, and his body reacted accordingly. Kime gives both power and control. Always put kime in kumite.
Conclusion
For the practitioner of Karate-Do, it is important that kime be understood and developed. Its development involves strengthening the body and mind. Kime is the key to effective technique and the control of such technique for a moral purpose.
James R. Oberschlake
Hachidan Research Report
ISKF
April 2, 2023
Kime
I recently heard a criticism that sport karate emphasized speed of technique at the expense of developing kime. What was important was to be faster than the opponent, score the point first, and win the match. All this is good, but to be honest, some scoring techniques lack the power necessary to be effective in an actual self-defense situation. For the practitioner of Karate-do, it is important that kime be understood and developed.
Part I
Kime is not only important; it is vital. “The essence of karate techniques is kime. A technique lacking kime can never be regarded as true karate, no matter how great the resemblance to karate.” (M. Nakayama, Best Karate 1 Comprehensive, page 11). Kime is defined as decision or moment of focus; it is a decisive or finishing technique. Kime strongly relates to the expression, ikken hissastu, “to kill with one blow”. If one encounters multiple attackers, it is necessary to dispatch an opponent quickly and completely before the next opponent attacks. Kime gives a technique the power to make this possible.
Power is the product of speed and mass. Greater speed means more power; more weight behind the technique means more power. Kime is generally considered something that occurs at the end of the technique when the striking surface and target make contact. At impact, the muscles contract strongly, locking the body into a single mass. In this way, the entire body weight is multiplied by the speed of the accelerating movement of the technique. This locking of the whole body adds to the power of kime.
Additionally, when the body is locked in a strong stance braced against the earth, “the shock of the blow is passed through the body to the legs and floor and then is reversed back to the punching hand, adding further force to the blow.” (H. Nishiyama, Karate: The Art of “Empty Hand Fighting”, Page 20). In this way, the reaction force of impact adds to the force of impact and creates an even more devastating blow.
The mind is also important to creating kime. At impact the mind must consciously direct energy into the target. The first time I tried to break two boards, I was not successful. Then my instructor told me to punch at a target two inches behind the boards. I changed my concentration and point of focus, and the boards broke easily on the second attempt.
My first instructor, Sensei Greer Golden, showed me a trick he called the unbendable arm. I faced my opponent and placed the back of my open hand on his shoulder. My opponent locked his hands with fingers interlaced on my forearm near the elbow. (To prevent injury my arm was straight but never locked at the elbow joint). My opponent began pressing downward, using the muscles of his upper body to bend my arm. The muscles of one arm were no match for all the muscles of his upper body. Before the second attempt, Sensei Golden placed his hand a few inches from the fingertips of my outstretched arm. He said, “Think about trying to reach and touch my hand. Imagine your arm is an electric cord with electricity shooting through your fingertips. Imagine your arm is a firehose with water rushing through it. Think reach…reach…reach.” On the second attempt my opponent was not able to bend my arm. In fact, it felt effortless, and I was amused to see my opponent grunt and strain as he was unable to bend my arm. When the body muscles lock at impact, concentrate and utilize this reaching tension to direct energy into the target. This reaching tension adds to the power of kime.
The last illustration of using the mind to increase the power of kime comes from a story related by Master Teruyuki Okazaki. When Master Okazaki was young, he secretly borrowed his father’s samurai sword. He wanted to test his skill by cutting through a stalk of green bamboo. His attempts were not successful. He later sought the advice of someone with more skill and experience. Armed with this advice, young Okazaki returned to the green bamboo. He closed his eyes and said three times slowly, “Power comes from Seika Tanden.” When he opened his eyes and swung, the sword passed cleanly through the bamboo. I think this was one of the most important things Master Okazaki wanted to pass on: “Always remember. The moment you execute technique, think power comes from Seika Tanden.”
Part II
“Kime is an explosive attack to the target using appropriate technique and maximum power in the shortest time possible.” (M. Nakayama, Best Karate 1 Comprehensive, page 11). From this definition we see that kime is more than something that occurs at the end of the technique. It also involves the process creating greater speed and proper technique that delivers power to the target with maximum efficiency.
Sensei Greer Golden would often emphasize this process of creating kime. “Always remember, Jimmy. Teach tense, relax, tense. It’s tense, relax, tense, where relaxing is going.” The first “tense” refers to what Sensei Golden called a ready tension. Ready tension is not maximum tension; it is a tensing of the muscles that prepares the body for sudden explosive movement. To illustrate this Sensei would have us crouch on the floor as if we were sprinters in starting blocks getting ready to run a hundred-yard dash. He would count, “On your mark…Set…Go!” The muscle tension we experienced on Set was the ready tension he was teaching. Next, we practiced gyaku zuki with the same ready, set, go process. Each punch was a race that developed explosive starting motion.
To understand the next step, relaxing is going, we must have a basic understanding of how muscles work to create movement. Muscles are elastic; they either contract or relax. In the body, muscles are arranged in corresponding, opposing pairs. The agonist is the muscle that contacts and creates movement; the protagonist is the muscle that relaxes to facilitate movement. For instance, when biceps contract and triceps relax, the arm bends at the elbow joint. When biceps relax and triceps contract, the arm straightens. Contracting both muscles at any point along the range of motion makes the arm strong, stable, and resistant to outside force. Relaxing both makes the arm compliant to outside force.
Imagine two strong men holding a rope. When they are relaxed, there is no movement. If the men engage in a tug of war each pulling with a force of exactly 300 pounds, there is no movement, but there is latent energy. If one man begins pulling with a force of 301 pounds, there will be slow movement. However, if one man suddenly relaxes and releases his grip, there will be explosive movement in the direction opposite he was pulling. This analogy illustrates how muscle tension loads the body with latent energy and how sudden relaxing of antagonist muscles releases this energy to create an explosive starting motion.
Once antagonist muscles relax, the agonist muscles contract as quickly and completely as possible to propel the technique toward the target at maximum speed. Antagonist muscles remain relaxed during movement so that unnecessary tension does not create resistance that would decrease the speed and power of the technique. The technique arm or leg feels relaxed during movement. There should be just enough resistant tension to guide the technique directly to the target. Ideally, the direction of the technique should strike at an angle perpendicular to the target. This angle ensures maximum efficiency and penetration. At impact the muscles of the entire body contract in a reaching tension, and the mind consciously directs sufficient energy into the target that ends the fight with one blow. This is the process and purpose of kime.
Part III
Understanding kime is good, but Karate-do is also about doing and becoming. Developing kime requires effort, persistence, patience, dedication, and discipline. No matter what aspect of karate training you are doing, developing kime should be part of the practice. What follows are some ideas for developing kime:
*Hit something heavy. Makiwara is the traditional and still best method for developing kime. Hitting something heavy trains the nervous system to completely contract the muscles in an instant. It focuses the mind on a target and conditions the body for impact.
*Hit something light. Punch and put out the flame of a lit candle. Punch small holes in a piece of paper. Hit the focus pad. Hitting something light promotes speed and the relaxing of the antagonist muscles. It adds precision, control, and sharpness, and the technique becomes more than a heavy push. I was once told that if you hit an opponent in the face with a normal punch, he will fall backward. But, if you hit him with a punch with kime, his body will jerk and fall forward. It is an interesting thought and worth contemplating.
*Use breathing. When breath is held, the body naturally tenses. When inhaling and exhaling, the body is more relaxed. During the executing of a karate technique, the breathing should mimic the movement: 1). Inhale, relax the shoulders, and feel as if you are drawing energy into the seika tanden. Hold your breath and body in a ready tension. 2). Relax and release the breath and technique in an explosive starting motion. The breath and movement accelerate together as the technique speeds toward the target. 3). At impact, the body tenses particularly in the area near the seika tanden, and the breath naturally stops.
To learn to use breathing to develop kime, kiai at the beginning of the technique. Make the kiai throw the technique. At impact when the body tenses and the breath stops, only the echo of the kiai can be heard.
*In kihon, practice correct form that effectively channels power into the target. Increase range of motion that maximizes the expansion and contraction of the body. Start and end techniques in a strong stance. Maintain good posture and proper alignment of the joints. Learn to load the body with latent energy to create an explosive starting motion.
During body shifting, many karateka merely step and fall into the stance and generate speed only at the very end of the technique. The speed that can be achieved by falling is limited by the force of gravity. Greater speed and power is possible by creating an explosive starting motion and utilizing the reaction force that is generated by pushing into the earth.
To prepare the body for sudden action, sink and bend the joints of the lower body. Assume the proper ready position and squeeze the right and left halves of the body toward the center axis. Shift the center of gravity toward the pivot foot, loading it with latent energy. Press strongly into the pivot foot, quickly and completely contracting the agonist muscles. The resulting reaction force propels the body and technique toward the target at a speed greater than can be achieved by merely yielding to gravity.
*Don’t rush the rhythm of the kata. In the time of Master Funakoshi, it took about one minute to perform a Heian kata. Today, katas are performed in about half the time. At a clinic in Delaware, Ohio, I asked guest instructor, Sensei James Field, why the karateka in Funakoshi’s time took longer to perform a kata. He answered that he thought one reason was that they took the time to completely focus each technique.
In kata there are quick moves, strong moves, slow moves, and pauses. On the pauses, take time to visualize the opponent. On the slow moves, take time to load the body with latent energy. On the quick and strong moves, take time to completely focus each technique. Kata has multiple attackers. Be sure each technique has kime and is sufficient to end the fight.
*Put kime in kumite. In karate we train to survive violent attack against multiple opponents. Kime gives our technique the power to make this possible, and kumite gives us the experience and skill to apply such techniques in an actual self-defense situation. From kumite we learn self-defense skills, timing, distancing, strategy, unwavering concentration, good fighting spirit, confidence, courage, courtesy, self-control, and the ability to access the intentions of others.
In a karate tournament, jiyu kumite is not a display of unbridled violence. It is a contest of highly skilled individuals who can accurately execute devastating techniques on an opponent, and yet can control such techniques so that they stop just short of doing great harm. Kime makes both skills possible. The same complete body tensing at the end of the technique that gives the power to finish the fight is the same body tensing they can stop the technique just short of the target. Kime gives both power and control.
In a tournament there is always eventually a winner. Most all victories are the result of accumulating waza ari. Victory by ippon is rare and memorable. I remember one such ippon technique that occurred when I was a corner judge. The competitor scored with a kizami zuki jodan. The opponent’s legs gave out, and he went down to his knees. During the judge’s conference the doctor found no injury, and it was determined no excessive contact had been made. The technique itself was so decisive and devastating that the opponent’s fighting spirit was broken, and his body reacted accordingly. Kime gives both power and control. Always put kime in kumite.
Conclusion
For the practitioner of Karate-Do, it is important that kime be understood and developed. Its development involves strengthening the body and mind. Kime is the key to effective technique and the control of such technique for a moral purpose.