On the other hand, authentic teachers of karate do exist in the U.S.A., and their teachings have full merit. These teachings are deeply rooted in traditional, classical karate and require a liberal application of patience and regular training to develop expert karate skill. There are various schools that stem from historic Oriental antiquity, all of which mere reading and one or two rehearsals of each response in this book will not produce effectiveness.
The authors are indebted to the Japan Karate Association for the use of their facilities and hereby acknowledge with pleasure the assistance of those members and officials who have made this book possible. Additional thanks are due to Y. Jinguji, whose excellent photographic skills have contributed greatly toward the easy readability of this book; to William A. Fuller, Paul Nutio, Dave Jinks, and Charles Gauch, who posed as "assailants," and to Mr. and Mrs. Frank P. Kreiger, Jr. of Tokyo whose private facilities served as background for many of the situations.
| Tokyo, Japan |
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PREFACE
KARATE is a martial art developed by people who were prohibited the use of weapons, thus making it a defensive art. When one is attacked, the empty hands (which the word karate implies) are quite sufficient to defend oneself if one is highly skilled in the art. However, to become highly skilled takes exacting discipline, both mental and physical. The main purpose of this series of six books is to avoid the advanced techniques of karate which require many years of study and instead to describe simplified karate technique as easy-to-learn responses to typical self-defense situations.
Karate is highly esteemed as a sport, self-defense, and as a physical attribute for athletics in general. It is becoming increasingly popular in schools, offices, factories, law enforcement agencies and the armed services, varying in degree as required by the respective wants and needs.
In response to the many request for treatment of karate purely as a defensive system, it is hoped that the information contained in this series of six books will be more than sufficient to meet these requests. In conclusion, if readers of this series of books will fully understand the principles and ideals of karate, taking care to use its techniques with discretion, they will reflect great credit to this magnificent art.
THE FIRST and most complete and authoritative text on karate in the English language, titled Karate: The Art of "Empty Hand" Fighting, by Hidetaka Nishiyama and Richard C. Brown, instructor and member of the Japan Karate Association respectively, made its appearance in 1960. It presents karate in its three main aspects—a healthful physical art, an exciting sport, and an effective form of self-defense. As such, it is considered the standard textbook of the Japan Karate Association and adequately serves both as a reference and instructional manual for novice and expert alike.
Many students of karate find the study of classical karate somewhat impractical in modern Western society, chiefly because time limitations prohibit sufficient practice. These students generally desire to limit their interpretations of karate to self-defense aspects. With this sole training objective in mind, a series of six books is being prepared which describes in simplified form the necessary karate movements for personal defense that can be learned by anybody of average physical abilities.
The authors, Mr. Nakayama, Chief Instructor of the Japan Karate Association and Donn F. Draeger, a well-known instructor of combative arts, bring a balanced, practical, and functional approach to karate, based on the needs of Western society. As a specialized series of karate texts, these are authentic books giving full and minute explanations of the practical art of self-defense. All movements are performed in normal daily dress and bring the performer closer to reality.
Today, karate is attracting the attention of the whole world and is being popularized at an amazing rate. I sincerely hope that this series of books will be widely read as a useful reference for the lovers of karate all over the world. It is further hoped that the techniques shown in this series of books need never be used by any reader, but should an emergency arise making their use unavoidable, discretion in application should be the keynote.
ESSENTIAL POINTS
1. Never underestimate your assailant. Always assume he is dangerous.
2. Stepping, weight shifting, and body turning are the keys to avoiding an assailant's attack and bringing him into position for your counterattack.
3. Turn your body as a unit, not in isolated parts, for maximum effect.
4. If the ground is rough, bumpy, or slick, you may be unable to maneuver as you would like. Simple weight shifting and twisting of your hips may be all that is possible. Don't get too fancy in your footwork.
5. Your body can only act efficiently in karate techniques if you make it a stable foundation, working from braced feet and a balanced position as you deliver your blow.
6. Coordinate your blocking or striking action to the assailant's target area with your stepping, weight shifting, and body turning, for maximum effect.
7. Do not oppose superior power with power, but seek to harmonize it with your body action and direct it to your advantage.
8. Seek to deliver your striking actions to the assailant's anatomical weak points (vital points) rather than to hard, resistant areas.
9. After delivering the striking action to your assailant's target area, you must never lose sight of him and you should be constantly alert for a continuation of his attack.
10. Use discretion in dealing out punishment to any assailant. Fit the degree of punishment to the situation.
Chapter One
AUTOMOBILE SITUATIONS
THERE is no law or formula, natural or man-made, that requires an assailant or assailants to attack their intended victim in a predetermined pattern and/or with standard design tactics and weapons. Both premeditated and spontaneous attacks often feature unusual places, tactics, and/or weapons. Their form is limitless, subject only to the expressions of the psychologically-disturbed mind making these attacks.
Being attacked by an assailant or assailants while in an automobile must receive careful attention and consideration as a delicate situation, even more difficult to defend against than when outside and free to move around. Much of what is done borrows liberally from commoner situations described in Books Two, Three, and Four, and requires that you take the proper defensive response if you wish to avoid serious injury or even death. Here too, in situations involving an automobile, mistakes may be costly.
The person highly trained in karate techniques is able to meet such unusual situations with confidence, but not without difficulty. What follows in this chapter are responses appropriate to the hypothetical situations described; you, as an average person,