Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need:
- Martial Arts Supplies
- Martial Arts Uniforms
- Martial Arts Videos
-
Step 1
Face forward with one leg ahead of the other. Keep your legs about a shoulder's width apart.
-
Step 2
Reach your forward arm back to your rear shoulder with your open hand almost cupping your ear. This is your blocking arm.
-
Step 3
Hold your fingers together tightly with your thumb tucked into your palm.
-
Step 4
Raise your opposite arm level with your chest, your hand formed into a fist.
-
Step 5
Position this arm on the outside of your blocking arm.
-
Step 6
Move your blocking arm slightly downward and across the front of your body.
-
Step 7
Keep the elbow bent at a 90-degree angle, and twist your wrist so that the palm faces outward.
-
Step 8
Meet the attacker's limb with the knife-hand edge (the fleshy part below your pinky).
-
Step 9
Pull your opposite arm back against your side as you deliver your block.
Comments
css1971 said
on 8/26/2007 Oh. And I forgot. Never, *ever* try to block a real kick with your arm unless you want it broken.
css1971 said
on 8/26/2007 Yeah. Doesn't work as described... It's far far too slow. It takes about 0.1 seconds to throw a punch. The "block" described takes far far longer than that. It can't work.
What's really happening in a shuto-uke... Knife hand block.
The movement of the hand up to the ear (step 2) is the block or parry. You notice how much sooner in the movement that is?
Step 4/5, is a grab/trap of the opponent's attacking/grabbing limb, and steps 6/7/8 are in fact a strike to the opponent's neck.
The push/pull motion in step 9 pulls the opponent into the striking knife hand.
THAT is karate.