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basic techniques

"Kihon Waza"

The very foundation of any good karate system lies in it's emphases on the perfection of the basic technique as taught throughout the system's syllabus, therefore Chito-ryu karate as practiced by the members of the Koshin-ha Chito-kai places great emphases on this perfection of it's basic waza. We should all strive for perfection in technique. "Even armed with the knowledge that our technique will never become perfect, we will certainly reach a much higher level of perfection than we ever would have had we settled for less."-Jim Davenport.

The Founder of Kyokushin-kai, Master Mas Oyama once commented: "A student cannot possibly truly understand a technique until he has at least performed that technique 300,000 times." With this thought in mind, if a student practiced any "one" technique 100 times a day, everyday, it would take approximately eight years to truly understand that particular technique. This statement explains why the old masters practiced their techniques religiously performing thousands and thousands of repetitions and required their students to do the same. Many times over the years, I heard Hanshi Van Horne comment, "It doesn't matter how fast you run your hands across the key board of a piano if you hit the wrong notes." "There are no short cuts to perfection."

Below I have listed some of the basic techniques as practiced by Chito-ryu stylist. This list is by no means a complete list, but should serve to further the knowledge of those interested in Chito-ryu karate.

Blocking (Uke-Receiving) techniques:

It is interesting to note that since Chito-ryu karate is a defensive art, there exist within it's syllabus more blocking techniques than all punching, kicking and striking techniques combined. To better understand this statement one must  realize that blocks may be performed with either one hand or one arm as well as using both hands or both arms. All four sides of the arms as well as the legs may be used along with various areas of the hands and feet. The various areas of the arms may be used from and inward to outward or outward to inward movement as well as an up to down or down to up type movement. Furthermore, all blocking techniques can be divided in reference to three major areas of attack and defense. These areas of attack and defense are jodan, chudan and gedan.  The number of blocking techniques are greatly multiplied when they are executed from both the oi (forward) or gyuku (reverse) sides. Below I have grouped together blocking, scooping, parrying and sweeping type techniques. I have listed the blocking techniques in relation to hand/arm blocks and foot/leg blocks.

The list of blocking techniques below are by no means a complete list of the blocks used in Chito-ryu karate, but the list is a composition of some of the major blocking techniques used in the system.

Hand & Arm (Te-ude uke waza) Blocking Techniques

1.    Jodan age uke  (upper level block)                            2.    Chudan "Soto" uke  (outside middle level block)

3.    Gedan bari (downward sweeping block)                   4.    Chudan "uchi" uke  (inside middle level block)

5.    Soto Shuto uke (Outward knife hand block)             6.    Gedan uke  (lower block)

7.    Juji uke or kosa uke (cross block)                            8.    Haishu uke (back hand block)

9.    Kagi uke (hooking block)                                        10.   Teisho uke (palm heel block)

11.  Kakiwake uke ( Reverse wedge block)                   12.    Sukui uke (scooping block)

13.  Otoshi uke (Large circle block.)                              14.    Age-Uke (Rising block)

15.  Uchi Shuto Uke (Inward Sword Hand Block)         16.    Kakuto Uke (Bent Wrist block)

17.  Shuto Juji Uke (Sword Hand X block)                    18.   Age Teisho Uke (Rising Palm Heel block)

19.  Teisho Awase Uke (Combined Palm Heel block)     20.  Ken Juji Uke (Fist X block)

21.  Keito Uke (Wrist block-chicken head)                     22.  Age Teisho Uke (Rising Palm Heel block)

23.  Mawashi Teisho Uke (Round Palm Heel block)        24.  Te Nagashi Uke (Sweeping Hand block)

25.  Morote Gedan-bari (Double Arm Leg block)            26.  Morote Jodan Uke (Double Arm Head block)

27.  Morote Chudan Uke (Double Arm Middle block)     28.  Morote Tsukami Uke (Two Hand Grasping block)

29.  Morote Shuto Uke (Double Sword Hand block)       30.  Mawashi Empi Uke (Circular Elbow block)  

31.  Kake Shuto Uke (Hooking Sword Hand block)        32.  Tate Shuto Uke (Vertical Sword Hand block)

33.  Te Osae Uke (Pressing Hand block)                         34.  Haishu Osae Uke (Pressing Back Hand block)          

Foot & Leg (Ashi uke waza) Blocking Techniques

1.   

Punching (Tsuki-waza) Techniques:

1.  Oi-Tsuki (lunge punch)                   2.   Gyaku-Tsuki (reverse punch)             3.   Choku-Tsuki (stationary punch)  

4.   Kagi-Tsuki (hook punch)              5.    Kizami-Tsuki (jabbing punch)            6.   Heiko-Tsuki (double fist punch)

7.   Ura-Tsuki (close-inverted punch)   8.   Tate-Tsuki (vertical punch)                 9.   Kesa-Tsuki  (diagonal punch)

10. Age-Tsuki (rising punch)               11.  Yama-Tsuki (U-punch)                     12.  Yumi-Tsuki (bow punch)

13. Ippon-ken Tsuki (first knuckle punch)                  14.  Nakataka Ippon-ken Tsuki (middle knuckle punch)

15. Sayu-Tsuki (double punching left and right)           16. Chisai-Tsuki (small punch)

Kicking (Keri-waza) Techniques:

1.   Mae geri  (front kick with back leg)        2.   Yoko geri  (side kick)                    3.  Mawashi geri  (round kick)

4.   Ushiro geri  (back kick)                          5.   Kesa geri  (diagonal kick)              6.  Kagi geri  (hook kick)

7.   Ushiro kagi geri  (back hook kick)          8.   Mae tobi geri  (flying front kick)     9.  Yoko tobi geri (flying side kick)

10. Fumikomi geri (stamping kick)                11. Hiza geri  (knee kick)                   

12. Mae ashi mae geri (front foot front kick)                      13. Mae ashi mawashi geri (front foot round kick)

14. Mae ashi yoko geri (front foot side kick)                      15. Mae ashi kagi geri (front foot hook kick)

16. Mika zuki geri (Soto) (outward crescent kick)              17. Mika zuki geri  (Uchi) (inside crescent kick)

18. Uchi mawashi geri (inside round kick)                           19. Otoshi geri (dropping kick / ax kick)

20. Ura kagi geri (close hooking kick)                                 21. Mawari ushiro geri (back leg spinning back kick)

Striking (Uchi-waza) Techniques:

1.   Shuto uchi                                          2.   Empi uchi                                           3.   Kukite uchi

4.   Uraken uchi                                        5.   Heito uchi                                          6.   Tettsui uchi

7.   Zu uchi                                               8.   Kakuto uchi

Stances (Dachi-waza) Techniques:

1.   Uchi-Hachiji dachi                               2.   Soto-Hachiji dachi                              3.   Neko-Ashi dachi

4.   Seisan dachi                                        5.   Niseishi dachi                                      6.   Ippon-Ashi dachi

7.   Kosa-dachi                                         8.   Sanchin dachi                                      9.   Musubi dachi

10. Shiko dachi                                         11. Iai-goshi dachi                                     12. Heiko dachi

13. Zenkutsu dachi                                    14. Hangetsu dachi                                    15. Kiba dachi

16. Kokutsu dachi

                                                       Mobility (Sabaki)

The following are methods used by the Koshin-ha Chito-ryu karate organization for stepping and advancing from one posture (stance) to another. I have also included methods used for adjusting one's distance while engaging with the opponent as well as Irimi-Ho (entering methods).

                    Unsoku-Ho 

(Foot Methods / Stepping Methods)

Ashi-Sabaki & Tai-Sabaki

1.    Ayumi Ashi

2.    Tsugi-Ashi

3.    Hiki-Ayumi-Ashi

4.    Tsuri-Ashi

5.    Mawari-ashi

6.    Yori-ashi

Click below to access the kata as practiced by the Koshin-ha Chito-kai