kyusho man wrote:Steve I understand the principles of basic kumite(five step, three step) but I think that these principles teach bad habits which beginners and sometime karate ka who have trained for years find hard to get out of. Stepping back and blocking in the line of attack more than once is just bad practise. I think it's better teaching them straight from the start to move off line and always trying to break the attackers balance. This can be use in any kumite and will improve the defenders chances to counter attack without the attackers secondary attack hitting them. I believe most people who take up karate or any other martial art do it for self defence and if there train moving in the line of attack that what they will do under stress. "HOW YOU TRAIN IS HOW YOU ACT UNDER PRESSURE". I've trained in many different martial arts JKD, judo, wado, Aikido,kali, ju jitsu, silat, thai boxing, shotokan, mma. In these arts I trained with some of their best instructors and they teach to move of the line of attack and for all these arts to do that it must the correct thing to do. Lee.
Totally get your point and agree - if i was studying many martial arts not just one. The Shotokan Karate system has faults - YES but some of the drills considered weak or unecessary are actually far more complex and worthy than realised - you need to fully understand them to start to grasp this.
I would not argue your points re movement and avoiding attacks etc - Shotokan has ALL OF THAT ! but basic drills - if studied correctly will make it easier to do all that in the long run.
I agree though - if wrongly understood and thus wrongly studied they can be counterproductive
