Many people want to learn karate so they can kick ass in a fight. These people are mostly attracted to sparring. Some clubs implement seventypes of kumite, other five, but there are three main ones we practiced in my old dojo. Three-step sparring is the most controlled and basic. From there, a karateka learns One-step sparring. Both of these forms include the use of a partner though your sensei or senpei will instruct you as to what moves to use. This pratice is somewhat like spontaneous kata with a partner.
From there you will learn free sparring. This is completely spontaneous fighting and consists of two karateka using their techniques against each other. In most schools of Shotokan, punches and kicks are controlled so that they "miss" before impact. You may wonder how that would help someone learn to fight in the street.
Though it looks like missing, in fact each person is aiming their kick or punch just short of their opponent's body. Lower rank karateka must be 2-3 inches from contact on the allowed spots of the body, and about 5 inches away from the face. Higher ranks may lightly make contact with the body, and only be a 1/2 inch from the face.
In my old dojo we were taught that if you could successfully throw a punch where you aim (or kick) then you could successfully aim your attack when in a life or death situation. That spot is 2 inches within the body, which should kill or seriously maim your opponent in order for you to get away.
Master Funakoshi wrote in his master text that a fight like that should only happen once or never at all in a normal person's lifetime. Hence the neccessity of the Dojo Kun. |
