Shotokan Microtechnique

[HanshiClayton]

Microtechnique, notes of Bruce D. Clayton, Ph.D. Copyright © 2008. All rights reserved.

This is a checklist of the internal skills a Shotokan blackbelt works on to "perfect" techniques as simple as assuming a fighting stance, shifting forward to jab, and then rotating to reverse punch. Shotokan has gone very deeply into this aspect of building the "body weapon." I present it here to provide insight for readers who have never been exposed to this kind of training. -- Bruce Clayton

Basic Start-your-Engine (Yoi stance)
1. Eyes behind the head. See whole opponent or all opponents.
2. Stable emotions.
3. Soft chin.
4. Energy beams directed toward opponent from forehead (kami tanden), breath (kiai), tanden (hara).
5. Pressure down into hara. Feel pressure in lower abdomen.
6. Tailbone tucked in, buttocks squeezed together. Hips lowered.
7. Head up. Like being pulled up with a string. Spine “lengthens.” Feel spine muscles tighten.
8. Pressure pushed down into feet.
9. Toes grab the floor. Feet cup and grip the floor.
10. Shoulders relaxed.
11. Breathing from abdomen.
12. Legs/feet feel alive, not dead.

Take fighting stance
Maintain the “engine on” feelings described above. In addition:
13. Pressure builds in left leg. Right foot gets lighter.
14. Wind up internally. Build pressure backwards in abdomen, against backstop of spine muscles.
15. Step back into short left zenkutsu, mental energy beams still impaling enemy.
16. Rear (right) foot arches and grips floor, toes twisted forward.
17. Sharp angle rear shin to floor.
18. Rear thighbone almost vertical, knee to hip joint.
19. Front leg, knee over (or past) toes to create sharp angle from shin to floor. Same angle as rear leg.
20. Strong feeling of power from the hara down; little power present from hara up.

Shift forward, jab.
21. Pressure builds in rear leg. Front (left) foot becomes lighter.
22. At peak of pressure, left foot shifts forward while right leg drives hips forward. Strong contraction of right butt muscles to move hip.
23. Left foot lands. Right foot doesn’t just step or drag, but leaps forward and to complete the shift. Final foot position is exactly the same as starting position.
24. Jab can have various timings. Assume jab to impact as rear foot hits floor at end of shift.
25. No power in shoulder or chest.
26. Launch jab from left hip. Strong contraction of butt muscle to drive hip forward.
27. Strong contraction of opposite butt muscle to pull right hip back (rotation).
28. Strong elbow snap for fast jab as shoulder swings forward on hip.
29. Strong futi to lock elbow and wrist at impact.
30. Strong contraction of chest, shoulder and back muscles for kime.
31. Contract hamstring muscles for body surge forward at impact.
32. Narrow, silent kiai adding shock through the jab.
33. Snap arm/shoulder/hip sharply back into fighting stance, exactly the same as the starting position. (Feels almost like making a left uppercut.)
34. Return to a state of jutsu (mental readiness for the next technique.)

Gyaku zuki
35. The forward leg becomes the supporting leg. Same side of body becomes hard and strong to act as the pivot for the rotation.
36. Rear foot, strong grip on floor, heel DOWN. Same side of the body relaxes, ready for rapid forward motion.
37. Pressure builds in back leg.
38. Back leg pushes hip forward.
39. Butt muscles push hip forward.
40. Front leg pushes other hip back, amplifying rotation.
41. Groin muscles pull knees toward each other, aiding rotation.
42. Punch strongly centered: “brace” punch with imaginary lines of force from upper and lower tanden and both shoulders. Punching arm forms one edge of imaginary pyramid.
43. Strong futi, elbow snap, but elbow held pointing down, not rotated to side.
44. Hikite very powerful, tightly contracted, tightly rotated.
45. Contract shoulder blade muscles, tying shoulder blades together for kime.
46. Punching arm tenses chest, back and deltoid muscles for kime.
47. Tense abdominal muscles from sides toward body centerline for kime.
48. Tense all muscles in legs for kime, especially hamstrings.
49. Sense of both hips striking forward on impact, no over-rotation.
50. Project mental energy through target.
51. Attitude: Not going to block THIS punch, suckah!
52. Kiai that pierces narrowly, not explodes into whole room.